Argent Trust Co Purchases 3,588 Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

Argent Trust Co raised its position in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 108,258 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,588 shares during the quarter. Oracle accounts for about 0.7% of Argent Trust Co's holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Argent Trust Co's holdings in Oracle were worth $18,040,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in ORCL. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Oracle during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Oracle by 89.7% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 184 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Hurley Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Oracle by 129.0% during the fourth quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 213 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Oracle Price Performance

Shares of ORCL traded up $1.42 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $133.77. 3,641,249 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,258,631. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $155.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $167.63. The stock has a market cap of $374.15 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.22. Oracle Co. has a 12 month low of $112.78 and a 12 month high of $198.31.

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Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.02). Oracle had a return on equity of 133.25% and a net margin of 21.16%. The firm had revenue of $14.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.41 earnings per share. Oracle's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 10th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 10th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. This is an increase from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's payout ratio is currently 46.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.35, for a total transaction of $389,448,893.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares of the company's stock, valued at $207,331,027.20. This trade represents a 65.26 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total transaction of $291,620.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at $5,049,400.30. The trade was a 5.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,448,328 shares of company stock valued at $453,791,001. Insiders own 42.20% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Oracle from $212.00 to $202.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Oracle from $175.00 to $150.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Stephens initiated coverage on Oracle in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Oracle from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Oracle from $194.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $178.65.

Oracle Company Profile

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.