Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Shares Sold by Bard Financial Services Inc.

Bard Financial Services Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 58.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,250 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 38,330 shares during the quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in Oracle were worth $4,643,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oracle during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle during the second quarter worth $40,000. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Oracle in the third quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Oracle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ORCL has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup raised their target price on Oracle from $157.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Oracle from $160.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of Oracle from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Melius Research raised shares of Oracle from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Melius upgraded Oracle from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $210.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, September 16th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $181.48.

Oracle Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:ORCL traded up $0.84 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $178.58. 13,176,670 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,403,240. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.68, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $179.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $155.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $494.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.06, a PEG ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 1.03. Oracle Co. has a 12-month low of $99.26 and a 12-month high of $198.31.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.01). Oracle had a net margin of 20.40% and a return on equity of 171.38%. The company had revenue of $14.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. The business's revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Oracle Co. will post 5.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.90%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. Oracle's payout ratio is currently 41.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In related news, EVP Maria Smith sold 6,320 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,042,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 42,889 shares in the company, valued at $7,076,685. This trade represents a 12.84 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Oracle 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.