Sonora Investment Management Group LLC Buys 4,098 Shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL)

Sonora Investment Management Group LLC increased its position in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 181,584 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,098 shares during the period. Oracle accounts for about 2.3% of Sonora Investment Management Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Sonora Investment Management Group LLC’s holdings in Oracle were worth $30,259,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Oracle in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Oracle by 89.7% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 184 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Oracle in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Oracle during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Avondale Wealth Management bought a new position in Oracle during the 3rd quarter worth $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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

Oracle Stock Performance

Oracle stock opened at $170.41 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $476.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.06. Oracle Co. has a fifty-two week low of $106.51 and a fifty-two week high of $198.31. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $172.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $163.03.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) last announced its earnings results on Monday, December 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $14.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.12 billion. Oracle had a net margin of 21.16% and a return on equity of 133.25%. Oracle’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.34 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Oracle Co. will post 5 EPS for the current year.

Oracle Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.94%. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Oracle from $173.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Oracle from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Oracle in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Citigroup raised their target price on Oracle from $157.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Oracle from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, seventeen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Oracle presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.