Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Stake Trimmed by First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.

First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc. decreased its position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 97,750 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 3,050 shares during the quarter. Oracle comprises approximately 3.3% of First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Oracle were worth $16,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ORCL. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Oracle during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Oracle by 89.7% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 184 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Reston Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oracle during the third quarter worth approximately $44,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Friedenthal Financial acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 3rd quarter valued at $51,000. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.35, for a total value of $389,448,893.90. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,331,027.20. This trade represents a 65.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 42.20% of the company's stock.

Oracle Trading Down 1.0 %

ORCL traded down $1.74 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $177.18. 6,525,769 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,060,984. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $495.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 1.05. Oracle Co. has a 12-month low of $106.51 and a 12-month high of $198.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $170.37 and a 200 day moving average of $164.97.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.48 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $14.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.12 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.34 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current year.

Oracle Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 23rd were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 10th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.90%. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Monness Crespi & Hardt lowered shares of Oracle from a "neutral" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $130.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Friday, December 20th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Oracle from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Oracle from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Oracle from $190.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $165.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $182.73.

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.