Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Trading 0.4% Higher on Analyst Upgrade

Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) shares shot up 0.4% during mid-day trading on Monday after KeyCorp raised their price target on the stock from $190.00 to $200.00. KeyCorp currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Oracle traded as high as $184.73 and last traded at $184.56. 704,892 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average session volume of 8,222,256 shares. The stock had previously closed at $183.74.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the stock. Melius Research upgraded shares of Oracle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on Oracle from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 13th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Oracle from $105.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Oracle from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Oracle from $160.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $169.52.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In related news, EVP Maria Smith sold 6,320 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,042,800.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,889 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,076,685. This trade represents a 12.84 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 42.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in Oracle by 21.9% in the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 312 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Second Line Capital LLC increased its position in Oracle by 1.5% during the third quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 3,816 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $650,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Cadence Bank boosted its holdings in Oracle by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cadence Bank now owns 7,605 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $1,296,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC grew its position in Oracle by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC now owns 17,626 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $3,003,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Finally, W Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Oracle by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. W Advisors LLC now owns 2,158 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. 42.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Oracle Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $523.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $173.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $148.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.68.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $13.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.23 billion. Oracle had a return on equity of 171.38% and a net margin of 20.40%. Oracle’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Oracle Co. will post 5 earnings per share for the current year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 10th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.24%.

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.