Johnson Financial Group Inc. Sells 2,467 Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

Johnson Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Free Report) by 19.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,033 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock after selling 2,467 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Oracle were worth $1,706,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Oracle during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Oracle by 89.7% during 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 bought a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Oracle during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. lifted 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 in the last quarter. 42.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Oracle Trading Up 4.1 %

NYSE:ORCL traded up $5.83 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $146.55. The company had a trading volume of 6,626,012 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,365,275. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $144.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $164.27. The company has a market capitalization of $409.89 billion, a PE ratio of 35.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.22. Oracle Co. has a 52 week low of $113.65 and a 52 week high of $198.31.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.49 by ($0.02). Oracle had a net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. The company had revenue of $14.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.41 EPS. Oracle's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Thursday, April 10th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 10th. This is a positive change from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.36%. Oracle's payout ratio is currently 46.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on ORCL. DA Davidson decreased their target price on Oracle from $150.00 to $140.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Oracle in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Oracle from $220.00 to $190.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Oracle from $175.00 to $150.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Westpark Capital began coverage on shares of Oracle in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $195.00 target price for the company. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $174.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Oracle news, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total value of $291,620.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,049,400.30. This represents a 5.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.77, for a total transaction of $648,850.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,538,339.30. This represents a 7.93 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 42.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.