Reporting its Q4 and 2012 results today,IBM (NYSE: IBM) posted net income of $5.8 billion, or $5.13 per share, on a diluted basis. That was a 6% improvement over the same period the previous year. If special items weren't included in the latter figure, it would have come in at $5.39, trumping analyst expectations of $5.25. Revenue was slightly lower, at $29 billion, when compared with Q4 2011. That broadly met the market's expectations.
For the full year, net income came in at $16.6 billion ($14.37 diluted EPS) on revenue of $105 billion. Those figures were 5% higher and 2% lower, respectively, on a year-over-year basis.
IBM also posted guidance that exceeded what the market anticipated. For full-year 2013, the company believes it will take in $16.70 per share in adjusted earnings, slightly above the average analyst estimate of $16.65. Looking further down the road, IBM hopes to post a minimum of $20 per share in 2015.
