Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Trading 1.5% Higher - What's Next?

Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 1.5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $156.61 and last traded at $154.51. 1,881,535 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 8,489,797 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ORCL shares. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $220.00 target price on shares of Oracle in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Oracle from $175.00 to $170.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Oracle from $200.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Oracle from $175.00 to $150.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Oracle currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $179.20.

Oracle Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $429.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $164.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $170.44.

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Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.41 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.30%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 10th. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is 46.95%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 345,174 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, 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 SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Howard Capital Management Group LLC increased its holdings in 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 worth $1,366,000 after purchasing an additional 883 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Oracle by 5.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,416,362 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $411,748,000 after buying an additional 121,874 shares in the last quarter. United Bank raised its position in Oracle by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. United Bank now owns 11,430 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $1,948,000 after buying an additional 519 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its stake in Oracle by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 20,026 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $3,412,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Oracle by 66.3% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 4,835 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $824,000 after acquiring an additional 1,928 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company's stock.

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.