Westpark Capital Initiates Coverage on Oracle (NYSE:ORCL)

Westpark Capital began coverage on shares of Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $195.00 price target on the enterprise software provider's stock. Westpark Capital's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 33.60% from the company's previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on ORCL. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Oracle from $194.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Oracle from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Oracle from $200.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Oracle from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt raised Oracle from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Thirteen 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's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $178.65.

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Oracle Trading Up 2.8 %

ORCL stock traded up $4.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $145.96. 11,539,620 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,037,719. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $162.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $170.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $408.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.69, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. Oracle has a 12-month low of $112.78 and a 12-month high of $198.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. The firm had revenue of $14.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.41 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Oracle will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Oracle

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oracle

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Marcum Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Oracle by 0.7% during the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 12,762 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $1,784,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. boosted its position in shares of Oracle by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. now owns 181,122 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $25,323,000 after purchasing an additional 7,832 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in shares of Oracle by 11.0% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 17,006 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $2,378,000 after purchasing an additional 1,687 shares during the period. Stonehearth Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Oracle by 65.4% in the 1st quarter. Stonehearth Capital Management LLC now owns 4,238 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $593,000 after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Milestone Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle in the fourth quarter valued at about $473,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company's stock.

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.