International Business Machines R&D decreased by 0.6% to $2.17B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 11.4%, from $1.95B to $2.17B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), R&D shows an upward trend with a 6.4% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026
How to read this metric
High spending signals a commitment to future growth and innovation, though it reduces current period earnings.
Detailed definition
Expenses related to the development of new products, services, and technologies, as well as the improvement of existing...
Peer comparison
Tech leaders often spend a significant percentage of revenue on R&D to prevent disruption by competitors.
Metric ID:
is_research_and_developmentHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.66B | $1.62B | $1.58B | $1.68B | $1.67B | $1.61B | $1.60B | $1.66B | $1.69B | $1.69B | $1.75B | $1.80B | $1.84B | $1.88B | $1.97B | $1.95B | $2.10B | $2.08B | $2.19B | $2.17B |
| QoQ Change | — | -2.2% | -2.5% | +6.3% | -0.4% | -3.7% | -0.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | -0.1% | +3.7% | +2.7% | +2.4% | +2.0% | +4.9% | -0.9% | +7.5% | -0.7% | +5.0% | -0.6% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +1.0% | -0.6% | +1.5% | -1.4% | +0.8% | +4.6% | +9.0% | +8.5% | +9.1% | +11.3% | +12.5% | +8.6% | +14.0% | +11.0% | +11.2% | +11.4% |
Range$1.58B – $2.19B
CAGR+5.9%
Avg YoY Growth+7.0%
Median YoY Growth+8.8%
R&D at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is International Business Machines's r&d?
- International Business Machines (IBM) reported r&d of $2.17B in Q1 2026.
- How has International Business Machines's r&d changed year-over-year?
- International Business Machines's r&d increased by 11.4% year-over-year, from $1.95B to $2.17B.
- What is the long-term trend for International Business Machines's r&d?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), International Business Machines's r&d has grown at a 6.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $6.49B to $8.32B.
- What does r&d mean?
- The money spent on creating new technology and improving existing products.