Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $130.76.

A number of analysts have weighed in on ORCL shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Oracle from $126.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 12th. KeyCorp began coverage on Oracle in a research report on Thursday, March 21st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Oracle in a report on Thursday, April 18th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. William Blair raised shares of Oracle from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 12th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Oracle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 14th.

Oracle Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:ORCL opened at $114.53 on Tuesday. Oracle has a 1 year low of $93.29 and a 1 year high of $132.77. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $119.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $314.79 billion, a PE ratio of 30.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.34, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 11th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.29 billion. Oracle had a return on equity of 336.11% and a net margin of 20.27%. Oracle’s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.96 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Oracle will post 4.44 EPS for the current year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 9th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.40%. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.22%.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 790,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.54, for a total value of $99,966,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $141,546,631.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 42.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Oracle

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Oracle by 3.2% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 4,717 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $494,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Oracle by 4.9% in the third quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. now owns 3,164 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $335,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Oracle by 30.4% in the third quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 11,617 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $1,231,000 after buying an additional 2,705 shares during the last quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Oracle by 70.1% in the third quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,650 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $810,000 after buying an additional 3,152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C. raised its holdings in Oracle by 4.3% during the third quarter. Leonard Rickey Investment Advisors P.L.L.C. now owns 3,535 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company’s stock.

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.