Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Price Target Lowered to $150.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) had its target price decreased by equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus from $175.00 to $150.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “hold” rating on the enterprise software provider’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective points to a potential upside of 0.76% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. BNP Paribas upgraded Oracle to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. JMP Securities reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded Oracle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Oracle from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Oracle from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $180.23.

Oracle Stock Performance

Oracle stock opened at $148.87 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $416.38 billion, a PE ratio of 36.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. Oracle has a 12-month low of $111.18 and a 12-month high of $198.31. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $167.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $169.58.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.02). Oracle had a return on equity of 133.25% and a net margin of 21.16%. The company had revenue of $14.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.41 earnings per share. Oracle’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Oracle will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Oracle

In other Oracle news, CEO Safra Catz sold 2,101,154 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was 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 directly owns 1,118,592 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $207,331,027.20. This trade represents a 65.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 42.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in Oracle in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,216,314,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Oracle during the fourth quarter worth $930,095,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Oracle by 20.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 13,825,360 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $2,303,858,000 after acquiring an additional 2,350,448 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Oracle by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 157,411,949 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $26,231,127,000 after purchasing an additional 2,296,069 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Oracle by 268.4% during the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 3,077,947 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $512,909,000 after purchasing an additional 2,242,520 shares during the period. 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.