Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) Updates Q4 Earnings Guidance

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) issued an update on its fourth quarter earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.61-1.65 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.79. The company issued revenue guidance of $15.43-15.72 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $15.91 billion.

Oracle Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ORCL opened at $144.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $403.58 billion, a PE ratio of 35.28, a PEG ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65. Oracle has a 1-year low of $112.78 and a 1-year high of $198.31. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $166.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $169.62.

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

Oracle Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 10th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.39%. This is an increase from Oracle’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio is 39.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ORCL has been the subject of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of Oracle from $210.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Oracle in a research report on Tuesday. Mizuho increased their price target on Oracle from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised Oracle from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Oracle from $195.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Oracle presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $178.92.

Insider Buying and Selling at Oracle

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 345,174 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.56, for a total transaction of $64,050,487.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $207,565,931.52. The trade was a 23.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 42.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oracle

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Oracle stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) by 189.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 153,580 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock after buying an additional 100,494 shares during the period. Oracle accounts for 0.7% of Brighton Jones LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Oracle were worth $25,593,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. 42.44% of the stock is currently owned by 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.