Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Shares Down 1.6% Following Insider Selling

Key Points

• Oracle shares fell 1.6% due to insider selling, with significant trading volume reaching 32,957,718 shares, a 129% increase from average session volume.
• Insider Michael D. Sicilia sold 33,845 shares at an average price of $321.16, reducing his holdings by over 20%.
• The company's quarterly earnings were slightly below analysts' expectations, with reported EPS of $1.47 missing the consensus estimate of $1.48.

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) shares fell 1.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $300.03 and last traded at $308.86. 32,957,718 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 129% from the average session volume of 14,387,603 shares. The stock had previously closed at $313.83.

Specifically, insider Michael D. Sicilia sold 33,845 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $321.16, for a total transaction of $10,869,660.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 132,656 shares of the company's stock, valued at $42,603,800.96. This represents a 20.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ORCL. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. UBS Group set a $300.00 target price on Oracle in a report on Wednesday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Oracle from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Oracle in a report on Monday. Finally, CIBC restated a "buy" rating on shares of Oracle in a report on Monday, June 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Oracle currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $305.75.

Oracle Stock Down 1.6%

The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33. The firm has a market cap of $877.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $255.23 and a 200-day moving average of $197.74.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.48 by ($0.01). Oracle had a return on equity of 72.93% and a net margin of 21.08%.The firm had revenue of $14.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.04 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Oracle has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.270-1.310 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Oracle Corporation will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 9th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 9th. Oracle's payout ratio is 46.30%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 71.6% in the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 257,378 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $35,984,000 after buying an additional 107,404 shares during the period. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 4.3% in the first quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 51,350 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $7,179,000 after buying an additional 2,110 shares during the period. Canoe Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 314.8% in the second quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 484,098 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $105,838,000 after buying an additional 367,400 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle in the first quarter valued at $108,572,000. Finally, CBM Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle in the first quarter valued at $356,000. 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.

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