Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) is Bellwether Advisors LLC's 9th Largest Position

Bellwether Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 9.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 75,688 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 8,355 shares during the period. Oracle comprises about 2.3% of Bellwether Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Bellwether Advisors LLC's holdings in Oracle were worth $12,613,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ORCL. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,216,314,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Oracle in the fourth quarter valued at $930,095,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Oracle by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 157,411,949 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $26,231,127,000 after acquiring an additional 2,296,069 shares in the last quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Oracle by 268.4% during the fourth quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 3,077,947 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $512,909,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,520 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Polen Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Oracle by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 10,723,731 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,787,003,000 after purchasing an additional 1,955,764 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company's stock.

Oracle Price Performance

Oracle stock opened at $138.50 on Monday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $146.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $164.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $387.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.22. Oracle Co. has a 12-month low of $113.65 and a 12-month high of $198.31.

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

Oracle Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 10th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 10th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. This is an increase from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on ORCL. Stephens initiated coverage on Oracle in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Oracle from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Oracle from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt raised Oracle from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Oracle presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.42.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In related news, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total value of $291,620.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,049,400.30. This trade represents a 5.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 5,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.77, for a total transaction of $648,850.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,538,339.30. This trade represents a 7.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 42.20% of the company's stock.

About Oracle

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ORCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.