OFI Invest Asset Management Acquires New Shares in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 285,577 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock, valued at approximately $45,957,000. Oracle makes up 1.1% of OFI Invest Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Oracle during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Oracle by 89.7% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 184 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Synergy Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. TFC Financial Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Oracle by 129.0% during the 4th quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 213 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 42.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In other Oracle news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.35, for a total value of $389,448,893.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,331,027.20. This represents a 65.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Oracle Stock Up 3.3 %

ORCL opened at $155.89 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $167.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $169.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $436.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.11, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. Oracle Co. has a fifty-two week low of $111.18 and a fifty-two week high of $198.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.01). Oracle had a net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. The business had revenue of $14.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 EPS. Oracle’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Oracle Co. will post 5 earnings per share for the current year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 23rd were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 10th. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research report on Wednesday. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded shares of Oracle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Piper Sandler upped their price target on Oracle from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Oracle from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Oracle from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $182.73.

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.