Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Stock Price Up 2.3% - Here's Why

Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) were up 2.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $163.09 and last traded at $161.93. Approximately 8,315,234 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 44% from the average daily volume of 14,816,256 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.28.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on ORCL shares. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Oracle from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Oracle from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Oracle to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Oracle from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, JMP Securities restated a "market outperform" rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $182.73.

Oracle Price Performance

The stock's 50-day moving average is $172.34 and its 200 day moving average is $163.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $475.62 billion, a PE ratio of 41.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.06.

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

Oracle Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 10th. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is 39.12%.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In other news, CEO Safra Catz sold 345,174 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.56, for a total value of $64,050,487.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $207,565,931.52. This represents a 23.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 42.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ORCL. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake 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 valued at $411,748,000 after buying an additional 121,874 shares in the last quarter. RMR Wealth Builders raised its holdings in shares of Oracle by 383.4% in the 4th quarter. RMR Wealth Builders now owns 7,155 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,192,000 after buying an additional 5,675 shares in the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Oracle by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 164,593 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $27,428,000 after buying an additional 32,718 shares during the period. Chase Investment Counsel Corp acquired a new stake in Oracle in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,160,000. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Oracle in the fourth quarter valued at $1,800,000. 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.