Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Shares Sold by JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd

JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd decreased its position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 8.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,391,121 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 136,474 shares during the period. Oracle comprises 1.3% of JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 29th largest holding. JARISLOWSKY FRASER Ltd's holdings in Oracle were worth $229,825,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ORCL. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. 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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Hurley Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Oracle in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Oracle during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. raised its position in Oracle by 129.0% in the 4th quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 213 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 42.44% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total value of $291,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,049,400.30. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.77, for a total transaction of $648,850.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 58,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,538,339.30. The trade was a 7.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 27,366 shares of company stock valued at $4,015,723. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ORCL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Westpark Capital assumed coverage on shares of Oracle in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They set a "buy" rating and a $195.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Oracle from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Oracle from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $220.00 target price on shares of Oracle in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.42.

Oracle Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of ORCL traded up $3.47 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $160.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,202,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,418,195. The firm has a market capitalization of $449.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.21, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.27. Oracle Co. has a 52-week low of $114.55 and a 52-week high of $198.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. The company's 50-day moving average is $142.02 and its 200-day moving average is $162.76.

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 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 business had revenue of $14.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.41 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 10th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 10th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is 46.95%.

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.