There's no denying it: This year's been a pretty lousy one for the market. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is down 23% year to date, and is sitting within easy reach of a new 52-week low. Blame the rout suffered by several key technology stocks, mostly, paving the way for most other equities.

There's a curious exception to this market-wide and tech sector weakness that's worth noting. IBM (NYSE: IBM) is holding up surprisingly well in the otherwise miserable environment. And it's arguably doing so for all the right reasons despite the specter of a recession. Here are the top three reasons.

If the economy sours enough, it will take a toll on all businesses, with corporations being forced into extreme austerity. That's a worst-case scenario that doesn't seem a likely threat to IBM, though.

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Source Fool.com