Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Trading 0% Higher - Here's Why

Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) traded up 0% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $159.84 and last traded at $160.37. 1,294,767 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 9,457,175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.31.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Oracle from $210.00 to $180.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Stephens started coverage on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $167.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their target price on shares of Oracle from $214.00 to $175.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded shares of Oracle from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Oracle presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $174.42.

Oracle Stock Down 1.0%

The company's 50 day simple moving average is $143.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $162.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $444.04 billion, a PE ratio of 38.92, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.27.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 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 firm had revenue of $14.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.41 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The business 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 represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.26%. This is a boost from Oracle's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle's payout ratio is currently 46.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 17,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.24, for a total transaction of $2,646,700.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 58,090 shares in the company, valued at $8,785,531.60. This trade represents a 23.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.81, for a total transaction of $291,620.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 34,630 shares in the company, valued at $5,049,400.30. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 27,366 shares of company stock worth $4,015,723. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oracle

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ORCL. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Oracle during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Oracle by 284.9% in the 1st quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 204 shares of the enterprise software provider's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the period. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Oracle during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. 42.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.

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