Oracle Corporation (ORCL) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
Shares of this software maker have returned +14.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.2% change. The Zacks Computer - Software industry, to which Oracle belongs, has gained 5.6% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.
Earnings Estimate Revisions
Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
Oracle is expected to post earnings of $1.47 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +5.8%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.1%.
The consensus earnings estimate of $6.72 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +11.4%. This estimate has changed +0.2% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.66 indicates a change of +14% from what Oracle is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +0.1%.
Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Oracle is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth Forecast
While earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.
For Oracle, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $15.01 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +12.8%. For the current and next fiscal years, $66.57 billion and $79 billion estimates indicate +16% and +18.7% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise History
Oracle reported revenues of $15.9 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +11.3%. EPS of $1.7 for the same period compares with $1.63 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.54 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +2.35%. The EPS surprise was +3.66%.
Over the last four quarters, Oracle surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.
Valuation
No investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Oracle is graded F on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Conclusion
The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Oracle. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
31 minutes ago
- CNBC
Asia markets set to open mixed as investors assess trade developments, await China benchmark rates
Asia-Pacific markets were set to start the day mixed Monday, with investors keeping a close watch on the People's Bank of China's decision on its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates for July, as well as the latest developments on the trade front. Trade came into focus once again over the weekend as the White House reiterated its position on tariffs. On Sunday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Aug. 1 the "hard deadline" for countries to start paying tariffs, though he also added that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1." Good morning from Singapore. Investors will be keeping a close watch on the People's Bank of China's decision on its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates for July expected later in the day. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 24,883, pointing to a stronger open compared with the HSI's Friday close of 24,825.66. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,688, compared with its last close of 8,757.20. Japanese markets were closed for a public holiday. — Amala Balakrishner The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Friday in the red, with stocks turning lower in afternoon trading as tariff fears took over. The 30-stock Dow lost 142.30 points, or 0.32%, ending at 44,342.19. The S&P 500 inched 0.01% lower to close the session at 6, tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added just 0.05% to settle at 20,895.66. — Pia Singh
CNBC
31 minutes ago
- CNBC
With another tariff deadline looming, these 10 things are going the right way for stocks
Conventional wisdom holds that as we get closer and closer to the coming deadline for tariff resolution, the market will become more treacherous, especially for highly valued stocks. I don't know who writes these stories. I always check the bylines and I have never worked with them or hired them. I will tell you this: their lack of knowledge of how the market works is painful. Their shoddy knowledge of market history would never be tolerated in any classroom. They are, what we used to call at The Harvard Crimson, "filler-up stories," meaning stories that had to be written because copy was needed. In truth, while the deadline looms, there is no relation between the highly valued stocks and the events at hand. I actually expect severe news about South Korea and Japan before Aug. 1 — the Trump administration's "hard deadline," in the words of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, for when new country-specific duty rates will come into effect. Korean car companies "make" vehicles here, but the White House would argue to you that all they do is assemble them here, while the more highly valued pieces of a car are made in the home country. Japan makes even less here but is defended, like Korea, by our soldiers, and I could see President Donald Trump invoking that fact to put on some capricious number — call it 35% tariffs on their imports — because that level is eye-grabbing. So, I doubt we're even going to get to the drop dead date of Aug. 1 without more drama. Does anyone who trades or invests think that the tariffs will influence the most highly valued stocks, none other than my newly minted cohort called PARC — Palantir , Applovin , Robinhood and Coinbase ? These all have room to run because if you are willing to pay 100 times earnings it means nothing to pay 200. That's the gospel. How can these writers not know that? Can Palantir be stopped by Canadian tariffs? Oh please, and if crypto gets knocked down, it will get up again. It's never going to keep that down. Let's flip this moment on its head and question what's buoying the near-record market as second-quarter earnings season picks up steam (we have five Club names reporting this week). I have 10 things on the list, some already happening and others more forward-looking. First, and most obvious: earnings have been terrific. Yes, there is an occasional Abbott Labs , which was brutalized by China, or Netflix , which was challenged by sky-high expectations. But the banks have set the tone, and the pastiche that closed out the week all came in very strong. I expect that to continue, with the only potential weak spot being the drugmakers. Just not enough blockbusters and some very weak pipelines. It's been a brutal year for health care overall, sitting last among all 11 sectors in the S & P 500 . Second, Trump's "big beautiful bill" contains so many provisions that will boost the economy that I think we need to rethink the possibility of a hobbled consumer. Consider these: An extension of the 2017 tax cuts that were set to expire at the end of this year, which could've resulted in an effective tax increase across income cohorts. This is particularly helpful for those who make less than $100,000. A tax deduction worth up to $25,000 for employees who earn tips, a huge win for the working class. Millions of U.S. workers stand to benefit from this. Increased standard deduction to $31,500 (from $30,000) for married joint filers and $15,750 (from $15,000) for single filers. That can make taxes easier to figure out and deliver a bigger benefit. Max child tax credit of $2,200 per child, up from $2,000, which impacts around 40 million families. Expanding 529 savings plans to cover workforce credentialing programs in areas like the trades. A new deduction on car loan interest for vehicles made in the U.S., capped at $10,000 a year. For higher earners, the size of the deduction is reduced. Tax-advantaged savings accounts for newborns, the so-called "Trump accounts." Some tax relief for seniors on Social Security benefits. These are huge benefits that will pump hundreds of billions in the U.S. economy and it's like no one ever cares. Tariffs are important. But these put money in the hands of spenders. Third, business get more tax relief on spending, building and research-and-development costs than anyone expected. Accelerated deductions and credit for building things will set off another boom. I talked about these in a previous piece . Every time I have ever seen this kind of relief, it generates far more spending and jobs than anyone expects. Fourth, we seem to be oblivious to how countries are signaling to Washington that they are going to make their companies build here in order to get some relief from the White House. There's also re-shoring to contend with. Sure, the White House may be circumspect about an Apple putting $500 billion into the U.S. economy in the next four years, but I'm not. Fifth, the amount of building that needs to be done for data centers and for the electric grid are so gigantic that they might be considered the equivalent of the biggest public works campaigns in history, and they include a huge labor component not often addressed. Don't forget that nuclear power overhauls are gigantic projects. Sixth, the Federal Reserve's new stress tests for banks will allow them to lend far more than they currently do. We forget how much heat there has been on the banks in the wake of the financial crisis to be incredibly conservative. That's over. Seventh, the opening of all sorts of land for drilling and the approval of a huge number of new pipelines will create a second renaissance of the U.S. energy sector. Eighth, two industries have so much business and are so important to the U.S. economy that they will be colossal sources of work: aerospace, where Boeing has to expand to meet new orders, and defense, where we are depleted by Ukraine. A heavy component in this sector is new kinds of weapons including drones. Ninth, the initial public offering market is primed and ready, and I think can create new jobs and new wealth for employees and sustained profits for the investment banks, which is why they are such great buys. We own Goldman Sachs for the Club. And finally No. 10, it's been so easy to bet against stocks for so long because the Biden administration had been so anti-business, particularly when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. That's over. Now short-sellers will be incredibly scared to lean on stocks. Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings. Now, again, Trump seems to do whatever is necessary to derail us in astounding fashion. But we need to think more creatively. When we hear talk of him firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, what you need to think is that no matter what, lower rates lie ahead. I don't think it will be because of a weaker economy because of what I just detailed, but because Trump wants to have a gross domestic product boom so he can say we are the fastest-growing, most-powerful country in the world. That's what Make American Great Again stands for. Even if you think it is a gigantic fraud, remember that Trump — through a gigantic hole in the budget and pro-business agencies — has created the circumstances that could lead to the opposite of what the "filler-up stories" say will happen. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long GS and ABT. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
Stock futures are little changed as traders await big tech earnings, eye trade developments: Live updates
Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, U.S., July 15, 2025. Jeenah Moon | Reuters U.S. stock futures were little changed Sunday night as investors tracked the latest developments on trade, and awaited the start of big tech earnings this week. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 18 points, or 0.04%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.02%, while Nasdaq 100 futures traded flat. Trade was once again in focus as the White House reiterated its position on tariffs. On Sunday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called Aug. 1 the "hard deadline" for countries to start paying tariffs, though he also added that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1." Wall Street is coming off a winning week for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, both of which continued to notch all-time highs. The S&P 500 ended the week higher by 0.6%, while the Nasdaq climbed 1.5%. The Dow ended the week slightly lower. The moves come on the heels of a solid start to earnings season. Of the 59 S&P 500 companies that have reported thus far, more than 86% have topped expectations, according to FactSet data. The major averages could receive a boost in the week ahead if Alphabet and Tesla — the first of the so-called Magnificent Seven companies set to report — manage to beat estimates. The megacaps are expected to be a major driver of earnings growth during the second-quarter earnings season. FactSet's John Butters expects the Magnificent Seven will post earnings growth of 14% in the second quarter, while the other 493 S&P 500 companies are seen posting growth of just 3.4%. "We're at an all time high for the [S&P 500] right at the beginning of earnings season," said Mark Malek, investment chief at Siebert Financial, adding, "If we can get through this earnings season with not too many major failures, I think that is really, really important at this point, if we want to continue this upward momentum that we have in the market." On the economic front, the June reading for leading indicators, which are predictive metrics for the overall market and economy, is scheduled for release on Monday at 10 a.m. ET. Verizon Communications and Domino's Pizza are among the companies set to report earnings Monday. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that Aug. 1 is the deadline for countries to begin paying tariffs to the United States, but said that "nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1." "That's a hard deadline, so on August 1, the new tariff rates will come in," Lutnick said on CBS News, when asked about the deadline for his tariffs on the European Union. President Donald Trump's tariff deadline has shifted since he announced his steep levies on trading partners on April 2, but White House officials now maintain that Aug. 1 is a firm deadline. "Nothing stops countries from talking to us after August 1, but they're going to start paying the tariffs on August 1," Lutnick said. — Erin Doherty, Sarah Min Stock futures opened little changed Sunday night. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell by 18 points, or 0.04%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.02%, while Nasdaq 100 futures traded flat. — Sarah Min
