Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Stock Price Up 5.3% - Here's Why

Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 5.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $148.64 and last traded at $148.14. 4,233,671 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 55% from the average session volume of 9,356,479 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.72.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Oracle from $175.00 to $150.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Oracle from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Westpark Capital started coverage on shares of Oracle in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $195.00 price target on the stock. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Oracle in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Oracle from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Fourteen research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Oracle presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $174.42.

Oracle Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. The company's fifty day moving average price is $143.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $163.82. The company has a market capitalization of $421.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.86, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.27.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $14.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. Oracle's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.41 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current 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 represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.33%. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 10th. Oracle's dividend payout ratio is presently 46.95%.

Insider Activity at Oracle

In related news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 5,000 shares of Oracle 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 sale, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares in the company, valued at $7,538,339.30. This trade represents a 7.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total transaction of $291,620.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,049,400.30. This trade represents a 5.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ORCL. Requisite Capital Management LLC grew its position in Oracle by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Requisite Capital Management LLC now owns 2,240 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Oracle by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 1,423 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $237,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. McLean Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in shares of Oracle by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 5,447 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $908,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Warther Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Oracle by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Warther Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,621 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $603,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Howard Bailey Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Oracle by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Howard Bailey Securities LLC now owns 2,274 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.