Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-nine research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $167.42.

ORCL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Oracle from $140.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. JMP Securities upgraded Oracle from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $175.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Melius raised Oracle from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. TD Cowen upped their target price on Oracle from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th.

Oracle Stock Performance

Shares of ORCL stock traded down $2.02 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $174.10. 5,846,770 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,503,258. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $152.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $137.28. The company has a market cap of $479.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.01. Oracle has a 1 year low of $99.26 and a 1 year high of $178.61.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $13.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.23 billion. Oracle had a return on equity of 171.38% and a net margin of 20.40%. Oracle's revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.95 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Oracle will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 10th. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is currently 43.13%.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In other news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.89, for a total value of $2,068,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 58,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,010,030.10. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Oracle news, EVP Maria Smith sold 6,320 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $7,076,685. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 15,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.89, for a total transaction of $2,068,350.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 58,090 shares in the company, valued at $8,010,030.10. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 42.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ORCL. Westend Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Oracle during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Oracle during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bbjs Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oracle in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new position in shares of Oracle in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.