Group 1 - IBM is recognized as one of the top big data stocks, with Bernstein maintaining a Market Perform rating and a price target of $280 following its acquisition of Confluent for $31 per share, totaling an enterprise value of approximately $11 billion [1][2] - The acquisition is expected to enhance IBM's adjusted EBITDA in the first full year and increase free cash flow in the second year post-completion [2] - S&P Global Ratings has downgraded IBM's outlook to negative, predicting that the acquisition will maintain the company's leverage at around 2.5x by fiscal 2026, while forecasting a 6% revenue growth in fiscal 2025 due to strong performance in software and infrastructure following the z17 launch [3] Group 2 - IBM is a global technology leader focusing on software, consulting, and infrastructure solutions, with a strategic emphasis on hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence, and is significantly involved in big data through its enterprise data and analytics portfolio [4]