Whittier Trust Co. Trims Holdings in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

Whittier Trust Co. lowered its stake in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 9.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 130,361 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 13,328 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co.'s holdings in Oracle were worth $21,723,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Howard Capital Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 12.4% during the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 8,019 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $1,366,000 after buying an additional 883 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Oracle by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,416,362 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $411,748,000 after purchasing an additional 121,874 shares during the last quarter. United Bank raised its position in shares of Oracle by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. United Bank now owns 11,430 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,948,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the last quarter. Tranquility Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Oracle in the 3rd quarter worth about $213,000. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc raised its position in shares of Oracle by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 24,524 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $4,181,000 after purchasing an additional 1,062 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 42.44% of the company's stock.

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Oracle Price Performance

Shares of ORCL traded up $0.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $152.83. 17,559,020 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,515,324. The company has a market cap of $427.45 billion, a PE ratio of 37.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. Oracle Co. has a 52-week low of $112.78 and a 52-week high of $198.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $164.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $170.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

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

Oracle Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.95%.

Insider Activity at Oracle

In other Oracle news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was 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 $207,331,027.20. This trade represents a 65.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on ORCL shares. BNP Paribas raised Oracle to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Oracle from $205.00 to $175.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Stephens began coverage on Oracle in a research report on Wednesday. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 target price for the company. Barclays cut their price target on Oracle from $212.00 to $202.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $179.20.

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.