IBM vs MSTR Stock Comparison
IBM currently leads MSTR in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 66 vs 44. The clearest difference is momentum.
What is the main difference between IBM and MSTR?
IBM leads the current stock comparison as International Business Machines Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
International Business Machines Corporation vs Strategy Inc
IBM leads
IBM leads by 22 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Value, having only recently taken the lead back from MSTR. Wall Street currently favors MSTR on target upside.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support IBM, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
International Business Machines Corporation
Strategy Inc
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors IBM over MSTR, 66 versus 44 as of Oct 21, 2026. IBM's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and value. IBM also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors MSTR. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor IBM today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. IBM lead: Reversed — MSTR led by 1 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; IBM now leads by 22.
Compare International Business Machines Corporation and Strategy Inc across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare IBM and MSTR against another ticker
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AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum79 vs 44IBM +35
- Value67 vs 34IBM +33
- Risk Resilience51 vs 37IBM +14
- Quality61 vs 58Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor IBM. IBM’s edge is concentrated in momentum and value.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
New signals
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
Largest factor move: Momentum +7
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
IBM's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — IBM and MSTR both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
IBM (International Business Machines Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and value.
MSTR (Strategy Inc): the counter-case, on technicals, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 60.1% against 25.3%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
IBMIBM on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
IBMIBM on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
IBMIBM on the peer-relative Value factor, by 33 points.
Momentum
IBMIBM on the Momentum factor, by 35 points.
Lower downside
IBMIBM on Risk Resilience, by 14 points.
Analyst upside
MSTRMSTR on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors IBM, analyst targets favor MSTR. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | IBM | MSTR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +4% | +42.1% | MSTR has more room |
| Target dispersion | +66.9% | +142.1% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 14 | 11 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor IBM. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | IBM | 66 vs 44 |
| Fundamentals | IBMon balance | revenue growth 7.8% vs -1.6%; EPS growth 76.9% vs 37.1%; TTM ROE 33.5% vs -60.8%; gross margin 58.4% vs 67.6%; operating margin 17.9% vs -16.8% — IBM takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | IBM | Value 67 vs 34 |
| Technicals | MSTR | Price vs 50-day 8.3% vs 12.4%; vs 200-day -3.7% vs 5.4% |
| Risk Resilience | IBM | Risk Resilience 51 vs 37 |
| Analyst expectations | MSTR | Target upside 4% vs 42.1% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of IBM and MSTR and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 22 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has swung materially session to session. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on IBM.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20IBM lead: Reversed — MSTR led by 1 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; IBM now leads by 22.
- Today
- IBM +22
- 66 vs 44
- 7 sessions ago
- IBM +18
- 63 vs 45
- 30 sessions ago
- MSTR +1
- 51 vs 52
- 90 sessions ago
- IBM +12
- 57 vs 45
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Sep 29 when MSTR moved ahead of IBM.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted
Only IBM
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (8.19%)
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only MSTR
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (0.81%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (6.78%)
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
IBM leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +3.94%, AIQ +1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +7.54%, AIQ +2 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1MSTR closes the Momentum gap — currently 35 points behind, the largest single contributor to IBM's edge.
- 2MSTR's ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3IBM's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 3 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
IBM leads on balance| Metric | IBM | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 7.8% | -1.6% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 76.9% | 37.1% |
| Gross margin | 58.4% | 67.6% |
| Operating margin | 17.9% | -16.8% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 33.5% | -60.8% |
| Debt to equity | 1.89 | 0.15 |
Performance
IBM leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | IBM | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 4.8% | -6.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 4.6% | -14.7% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 17.6% | 42.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -5.4% | -13% |
| Year to date | -18.3% | -6.1% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -12.3% | -49.7% |
Technicals
MSTR has the stronger structure| Metric | IBM | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 76.1 | 42.5 |
| ADX (14) | 13.5 | 24.8 |
| Price vs 50-day | 8.3% | 12.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | -3.7% | 5.4% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 25.3% | 60.1% |
Risk
IBM is the more resilient| Metric | IBM | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.88 | 3.18 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.13 | -0.51 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.15 | -1.01 |
| Max drawdown | -37.5% | -72.7% |
| Current drawdown | -26.5% | -52.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 48.9% | 82% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.4% | -7.1% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, IBM or MSTR?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, IBM is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 66 against MSTR's 44. The edge comes from momentum and value. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is IBM or MSTR the better buy right now?
IBM carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor IBM over MSTR?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. IBM leads Momentum by 35 points; IBM leads Value by 33 points; IBM leads Risk Resilience by 14 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, IBM or MSTR?
Analyst price targets imply +4% upside for IBM and +42.1% for MSTR, so the Street currently favors MSTR. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors IBM. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, IBM or MSTR?
IBM is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. IBM on the peer-relative Value factor, by 33 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, IBM or MSTR?
IBM on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, IBM or MSTR?
IBM on the Momentum factor, by 35 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, IBM or MSTR?
IBM is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. IBM on Risk Resilience, by 14 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is IBM more profitable than MSTR?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 58.4% vs 67.6%; operating margin 17.9% vs -16.8%; ttm roe 33.5% vs -60.8%. IBM leads on two measures and MSTR on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is IBM's lead over MSTR getting stronger or weaker?
IBM lead: Reversed — MSTR led by 1 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; IBM now leads by 22. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-29, when MSTR moved ahead of IBM.
What would change the IBM vs MSTR verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: MSTR closes the Momentum gap — currently 35 points behind, the largest single contributor to IBM's edge; MSTR's ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; IBM's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 3 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about IBM and MSTR?
IBM: 2 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted. MSTR: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on IBM is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On MSTR it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare IBM and MSTR with others
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How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.