Gradient Investments LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

Gradient Investments LLC increased its position in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 3.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 76,802 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after acquiring an additional 2,572 shares during the quarter. Gradient Investments LLC's holdings in Oracle were worth $10,738,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ORCL. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Hurley Capital LLC bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. boosted its stake in Oracle by 129.0% in the 4th quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 213 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 42.44% of the company's stock.

Oracle Stock Performance

Oracle stock traded down $0.97 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $168.17. 6,372,366 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,505,014. The stock has a market capitalization of $470.36 billion, a PE ratio of 41.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. Oracle Co. has a 12-month low of $118.72 and a 12-month high of $198.31. The business's 50-day moving average is $145.39 and its 200-day moving average is $160.82.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 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 analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.41 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 10th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ORCL has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho cut their target price on Oracle from $210.00 to $180.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded Oracle from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Oracle from $194.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $174.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 17,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.24, for a total transaction of $2,646,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,785,531.60. This trade represents a 23.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,866 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.53, for a total transaction of $428,552.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 31,764 shares in the company, valued at $4,749,670.92. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 27,366 shares of company stock worth $4,015,723. 42.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.