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International Business Machines Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth-quarter revenue grew 12 percent: Fourth-quarter revenue was $19.7 billion, up 9 percent at constant currency. Software, Infrastructure and Consulting all grew in the quarter. Source
  • Full-year revenue reached $67.5 billion: Full-year revenue was $67.5 billion, up 8 percent and up 6 percent at constant currency. Software and Infrastructure grew faster than Consulting for the year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS was $5.86: Fourth-quarter diluted EPS from continuing operations was $5.86 GAAP, against $3.11, and $4.52 on an operating basis, up 15 percent. Source
  • IBM Z revenue grew 67 percent: Infrastructure revenue was $5.1 billion, up 17 percent at constant currency. Within it, IBM Z rose 67 percent, or 61 percent at constant currency. Source
  • Generative AI book stands above $12.5 billion: Management said the generative AI book of business is now more than $12.5 billion. The third-quarter release reported the AI book at more than $9.5 billion. Source
  • Gross margin rose on both bases: Fourth-quarter gross profit margin was 60.6 percent GAAP, up 110 basis points, and 61.8 percent operating, up 120 basis points. Full-year margins were 58.2 percent and 59.5 percent. Source
  • Free cash flow rose in quarter and year: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $7.6 billion, up $1.4 billion. Full-year free cash flow was $14.7 billion, up $2.0 billion. Source

“We enter 2026 with momentum and in a position of strength, giving us confidence in our full-year expectations of more than 5 percent constant currency revenue growth and an increase of about $1 billion in year-over-year free cash flow.”

Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue growth (constant currency) Sourcefull-year 2026more than 5 percentNew
Free cash flow change Sourcefull-year 2026increase of about $1 billion year-over-yearNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 expectations were issued for constant currency revenue growth above 5 percent and for free cash flow up about $1 billion. Source
  • New guidance: Free cash flow expectation for 2026 is stated as an increase of about $1 billion over 2025 rather than a dollar level. Source

Fourth-quarter and full-year results

  • Fourth-quarter revenue grew 12 percent: Fourth-quarter revenue was $19.7 billion, up 9 percent at constant currency. Software, Infrastructure and Consulting all grew in the quarter. Source
  • Full-year revenue reached $67.5 billion: Full-year revenue was $67.5 billion, up 8 percent and up 6 percent at constant currency. Software and Infrastructure grew faster than Consulting for the year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter GAAP EPS was $5.86: Fourth-quarter diluted EPS from continuing operations was $5.86 GAAP, against $3.11, and $4.52 on an operating basis, up 15 percent. Source
  • Full-year operating EPS was $11.59: Full-year operating (non-GAAP) EPS was $11.59, up 14 percent, with full-year operating pre-tax income of $12.7 billion. Source

Segment revenue and growth

  • Software revenue rose 14 percent: Software revenue was $9.0 billion in the fourth quarter, up 11 percent at constant currency. Automation, Data and Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat) all grew. Source
  • IBM Z revenue grew 67 percent: Infrastructure revenue was $5.1 billion, up 17 percent at constant currency. Within it, IBM Z rose 67 percent, or 61 percent at constant currency. Source
  • Consulting grew 1 percent at constant currency: Consulting revenue was $5.3 billion, up 3 percent and up 1 percent at constant currency, compared with 2 percent at constant currency in the third quarter. Source
  • Distributed Infrastructure was flat: Distributed Infrastructure was flat at constant currency, up 3 percent as reported. Infrastructure Support was down 2 percent at constant currency. Source
  • Financing revenue rose 5 percent: Financing revenue was $0.2 billion, up 5 percent and up 2 percent at constant currency. Source

“2025 put IBM's durability, resilience and differentiation on display. Our portfolio mix, integrated value and rapid innovation drove higher revenue growth and double-digit profit and free cash flow growth”

James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer

Products, customers and AI book

  • Generative AI book stands above $12.5 billion: Management said the generative AI book of business is now more than $12.5 billion. The third-quarter release reported the AI book at more than $9.5 billion. Source
  • Mainframe adoption drove Infrastructure: Management tied continued double-digit Infrastructure revenue growth to adoption of the next generation of the company's mainframe platform. Source
  • Automation and Data led Software growth: Automation grew 18 percent and Data grew 22 percent, with 14 and 19 percent at constant currency. Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat) grew 10 percent and Transaction Processing 8 percent. Source

Costs, margins and tax

  • Gross margin rose on both bases: Fourth-quarter gross profit margin was 60.6 percent GAAP, up 110 basis points, and 61.8 percent operating, up 120 basis points. Full-year margins were 58.2 percent and 59.5 percent. Source
  • Infrastructure gross margin reached 60.6 percent: Infrastructure gross margin was 60.6 percent in the fourth quarter, against 56.9 percent a year earlier. Source
  • Operating expenses rose on R&D and SG&A: Fourth-quarter research and development expense was $2.2 billion, against $2.0 billion, and SG&A was $5.5 billion, against $4.9 billion. Source
  • Q4 tax provision was a benefit: Fourth-quarter income taxes were a benefit of $1.4 billion, with an effective tax rate of negative 34.6 percent, which the company attributed to resolution of tax audit matters. Source

“This capped a strong 2025 for IBM where we exceeded expectations for revenue, profit and free cash flow”

Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Free cash flow rose in quarter and year: Fourth-quarter free cash flow was $7.6 billion, up $1.4 billion. Full-year free cash flow was $14.7 billion, up $2.0 billion. Source
  • Operating cash excluding financing rose: Operating cash flow excluding IBM Financing receivables was $8.1 billion in the quarter. Reported operating cash flow was $4.0 billion, down $0.3 billion. Source
  • Debt rose $6.3 billion since year-end: Total debt was $61.3 billion, including IBM Financing debt of $15.1 billion. Cash, restricted cash and marketable securities were $14.5 billion at year-end. Source

Dividends and shareholder returns

  • Quarterly shareholder dividends of $1.6 billion: The company paid $1.6 billion in dividends to shareholders in the fourth quarter. Source
  • $1.68 quarterly dividend declared: The board approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $1.68 per common share, with a record date of February 10, 2026. Source

Acquisitions and strategic investment

  • Acquisition spending rose to $8.3 billion: Acquisitions, net of cash acquired, were $8.3 billion for the year against $3.3 billion, including $0.4 billion in the fourth quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 January 2026

  • Dividend payment on March 10: The $1.68 quarterly dividend is scheduled for payment on March 10, 2026, after the February 10 record date. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Software gross margin, fourth quarter Source83.4 %
Consulting gross margin, fourth quarter Source28.4 %
Total gross profit margin, full year Source58.2 %
Financing revenue, fourth quarter ($ millions) Source179

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said results exceeded its expectations for revenue, profit and free cash flow in 2025. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.