International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) is down 1.2% to $159.86 as I write this during the afternoon session. Volume is below average, however. More perspective: the 52-week low is $116 and the 52-week high is $166.25. Here's the one-year chart.

A few days ago, IBM received a positive initiation from CLSA, according to our Analyst Calls piece. The stock was given an outperform rating. Indeed, this company has been impressive as of late. I enjoyed the fourth-quarter results myself.

I first wrote about International Business Machines (IBM) in February 2009 at a price of $91.51, and the stock continues to power higher -- clearing psychological resistance at $150. Now may be a good time to consider taking some profits.

However, those investors who can tolerate the risk can maintain their full position to go for a bigger gain. IBM's shares will likely trade above $180 by the end of 2011. If Big Blue approaches $195 in 2011, that would be another good to time to consider taking some profits.

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) issued its Q4 report after the bell today. At the time of this writing, shares were up 2.4% to $154.25 on the news in the extended-hours session. So, is IBM a buy at this point? After all, that quote means that the stock has now gone beyond the new 52-week high of $151.47 that was set earlier in the intraday session.

You know, buying high can be scary and ill-advised. Still, I like IBM's prospects. According to the Associated Press, earnings of $4.24 per share went beyond the overall prediction by sixteen pennies. Net sales also impressed.

• "This is not a rescue plan. It is the longest ransom note in history: Do what we tell you and you may, in time, get your country back," said Fintan O'Toole, a commentator and author who led a weekend protest by labor-union activists in central Dublin against the imminent bailout. He called the average interest rate being demanded "viciously extortionate."

Oracle (ORCL), a software company whose colleagues include International Business Machines (IBM) and Microsoft (MSFT), issued its first-quarter earnings numbers Thursday after the bell. The market was quite pleased; during extended-hours trading, and at the time of writing, shares of the business were higher by 4.3% at $26.46.

That isn't far from the 52-week high of $26.63. The 52-week low for the stock is $20.10, so the range is very narrow. The one-year chart shows that the company has been on an uptrend as of late. Should you buy at this point?

"We believe that high-quality stocks purchased at historically low-price-to-high-yield offers the best potential for downside protection and upside appreciation," says dividend specialist Kelley Wright.

The editor of Investment Quality Trends explains, "Here we look at three blue chip stocks that have earned our top designation for outstanding dividend growth: IBM (IBM), Automated Data Processing (ADP) and Abbott Laboratories (ABT).

Here is a common sentiment about the stock market: "No fun at all. As I have said before, I believe it has turned into one big casino largely divorced from its original goal of providing capital to companies who produce something of value."

There's a lot of truth to what "granny" recently said to me in an e-mail. Fortunately she also noted "FYI Granny's up 5.86% + dividends." That would give her a gain of about 10% in the past ten months since I posted Where should granny put $50,000, suggesting a very conservative portfolio for an uncertain time.

Not only has she earned a very nice return, surpassing her CD account by 9.5% (20 fold), but she was able to do so with a great deal less volatility than the overall market most of us have lived through.

I first wrote about International Business Machines (IBM) in February 2009 at a price of $91.51. Shares have meandered near $129 for the past three months, but just look on that pause as a decent opportunity to consider the shares of a superior company.

Look for business model-demonstrated IBM's 2010 revenue to increase 4% to 6% amid the U.S. and global economic recoveries.

CA Inc. (CA), a software company that provides IT solutions, has traded in a narrow range over the past twelve months. The 52-week low is $16.12; the 52-week high is $24.15. On Friday, the stock closed down $1.37, or over 6%, to $20.51. Volume was way, way above normal. What's going on?

As you may have guessed, you can blame an earnings report for the sell-off. Adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share was two pennies below analyst expectations. Also, Bloomberg BusinessWeek states that guidance for next fiscal year's top line was slightly below estimates, and that the chief operating officer was leaving the business.