Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) Shares Sold by Northwest Investment Counselors LLC

Northwest Investment Counselors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 75,865 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock after selling 1,058 shares during the period. Oracle accounts for approximately 2.9% of Northwest Investment Counselors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC’s holdings in Oracle were worth $12,927,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new position in Oracle during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Steph & Co. raised its position in Oracle by 70.7% in the 1st quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 461 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its stake in Oracle by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 6,481 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $814,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the period. Range Financial Group LLC grew its position in Oracle by 9.4% during the 1st quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 2,081 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Oracle during the 1st quarter worth $32,626,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 42.44% of the company’s stock.

Oracle Price Performance

ORCL stock traded down $0.82 during trading on Monday, hitting $173.87. The stock had a trading volume of 1,753,104 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,427,399. Oracle Co. has a 1-year low of $99.26 and a 1-year high of $178.61. The stock has a market cap of $481.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $156.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.68, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.72.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $13.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.23 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 20.40% and a return on equity of 171.38%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.95 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 10th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 10th. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.24%.

Insider Activity at Oracle

In other Oracle news, EVP Maria Smith sold 6,320 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.00, for a total value of $1,042,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,889 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,076,685. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 42.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Oracle from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Oracle from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Oracle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Melius upgraded shares of Oracle from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Oracle from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $168.67.

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.