Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Trading Down 0.9% - Here's Why

Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 0.9% on Friday . The company traded as low as $128.44 and last traded at $128.56. Approximately 8,919,409 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 9,309,665 shares. The stock had previously closed at $129.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ORCL shares. Barclays reduced their price target on Oracle from $212.00 to $202.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Oracle from $210.00 to $180.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Oracle from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Oracle from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Oracle from $205.00 to $175.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $176.73.

Oracle Trading Down 4.4 %

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 company's 50-day moving average is $150.85 and its 200 day moving average is $166.33. The company has a market cap of $343.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.22.

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

Oracle Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 10th. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is currently 46.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 345,174 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 24th. The shares were 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 owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,565,931.52. This trade represents a 23.58 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 5,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction on Friday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.77, for a total value of $648,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,538,339.30. The trade was a 7.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 2,453,328 shares of company stock worth $454,439,851 over the last quarter. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Oracle

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Oracle by 89.7% in 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. Hurley Capital LLC purchased a new position in Oracle in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Synergy Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. 42.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.