ORCL - Oracle Corporation

NYSE - Nasdaq Real Time Price. Currency in USD
53.72
+0.74 (+1.39%)
As of 11:47AM EDT. Market open.
Stock chart is not supported by your current browser
Previous Close52.98
Open53.53
Bid53.62 x 900
Ask53.63 x 2200
Day's Range53.34 - 53.92
52 Week Range42.40 - 60.50
Volume2,038,358
Avg. Volume14,531,112
Market Cap179.184B
Beta (3Y Monthly)1.15
PE Ratio (TTM)18.09
EPS (TTM)2.97
Earnings DateSep 16, 2019 - Sep 20, 2019
Forward Dividend & Yield0.96 (1.72%)
Ex-Dividend Date2019-07-16
1y Target Est56.12
Trade prices are not sourced from all markets
  • Oracle (ORCL) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know
    Zacks

    Oracle (ORCL) Dips More Than Broader Markets: What You Should Know

    In the latest trading session, Oracle (ORCL) closed at $52.99, marking a -1.63% move from the previous day.

  • PR Newswire

    Home Energy Reports from SoCalGas and Oracle Helped Customers Reduce Energy Use and Cut Carbon Emissions by 53,000 Tons

    LOS ANGELES and REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Aug. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SoCalGas and Oracle today announced that the Home Energy Reports SoCalGas customers receive each month have helped reduce natural gas use by 10 million therms since the program began in 2013. This has resulted in customers saving more than $11 million on their bills.

  • PR Newswire

    Court of Appeals Rules for Oracle Affirming Injunction against Rimini Street

    REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Aug. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected Rimini Street's latest attempt to avoid the District Court's injunction barring Rimini Street from engaging in conduct that infringes Oracle's intellectual property rights. The Appeals Court also affirmed the trial court's $28.5 million attorneys' fees award to Oracle, rejecting Rimini's absurd claim that it had prevailed at a trial where the jury found Rimini infringed Oracle's copyrights.

  • PR Newswire

    UK Banks and Building Societies Can Accelerate Digital Mortgage Origination With Oracle

    LONDON, Aug. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Now available in the UK, Oracle Banking Enterprise Originations solution will help banks and building societies transform residential, buy-to-let and SME mortgage origination. Using design principles of open architecture, progressive data decisioning and complete process automation the solution will enable lenders to process mortgage applications far more efficiently by utilising best-in-class digital technologies. Oracle Banking Enterprise Originations solution solves these problems with an open architecture approach.

  • Pentagon’s $10 Billion Brain Is Frozen by a Contracting Scandal
    Bloomberg

    Pentagon’s $10 Billion Brain Is Frozen by a Contracting Scandal

    (Bloomberg Opinion) -- In the latest twist in the fraught competition for the Department of Defense’s $10 billion cloud-computing project, the Pentagon Inspector General’s Office announced a new investigation into whether there have been improprieties or corruption in the contracting process thus far. This probe, described to me as a very significant undertaking by Pentagon insiders, will complement a review already being conducted by new Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.The cloud project is formally known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure or, in a nod to “Star Wars” geeks, JEDI. It would provide a single managerial system and a single repository for storage of the department’s incomprehensibly vast data streams. As the controversy hit, the contract was reportedly about to be awarded, with the final competitors being Amazon Web Services Inc (the heavy, heavy favorite) and Microsoft Corp.The twin investigations were spurred by pressure from three sources: disgruntled competitors who felt they were out of the running; Congressional actors representing districts and states from where those competitors have a presence; and the Oval Office itself. President Donald Trump said in mid-July that he intended to review the JEDI contracting after receiving “tremendous complaints” about the process from “some of the great companies in the world,” including IBM, Microsoft and Oracle – each of which bid on the JEDI contract.None of this, other than direct interference by the commander in chief, is particularly out of the ordinary for big defense acquisitions, given the byzantine procurement process in the Pentagon. As a newly selected one-star rear admiral in 2000, I was assigned to manage a complex agency-wide telecommunications contract that included creating a new constellation of satellites. By the time it was finally awarded, I had long transferred out of the Pentagon. And in 2013, as I was a grizzled four-star Admiral about to finish up my career, I was still wondering why the satellite constellation wasn’t yet fully operational. The short answer is that at the nexus of big money, political influence and uncertain technology, delays are a certainty.All of this begs the questions of why the U.S. military is pursuing this system, and how it can be brought on line rapidly – by whomever eventually wins the contract.JEDI will be an absolutely vital part of America’s future warfighting capability, especially in the increasingly complex new 5G environment. At heart, the vast cloud would allow a much more efficient information-technology system, replacing the hodgepodge of thousands of hand-tooled, inefficient networks that exist today. This is especially critical for the military, where so many personnel transfer every two to three years, often taking with them a hands-on knowledge of an individual network or complex of software. For a vast organization like the Department of Defense -- the largest “company” in the world – JEDI’s efficiency at scale will be crucial to optimizing expensive resources and operating efficiently.It’s not just about efficiency, though: JEDI should vastly improve resiliency and security. Instead of individual networks and organizations backing up their information locally, everything is stored in a much more defendable cloud structure - just as your personal data and photographs likely exist in the Microsoft or Apple Inc clouds today. The data can be seamlessly transferred, even in the intense crucible of combat. Cybersecurity experts tell us that there is great strength in reducing the number of individual portals that can be attacked and overcome; streamlining and unifying the defenses of the entire department make sense. This reduction of “threat surfaces” is crucial.Finally, from an operator’s perspective, there is great allure in one-stop shopping to stream data (a sort of military Netflix,), to record and store it, to create simple systems to “patch” software, and to build an infrastructure that permits constant monitoring of the entire department’s networks. Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon’s Artificial Intelligence Center, commented recently on the operational capabilities necessary for the emerging era of great power competition, with China in particular.“Imagine the speed of operations in a fight in the Pacific, where you just do not have time to figure out, ‘How do I get my data, clean my data, move it from point A to point B.’” Shanahan said. “If I’m a warfighter, I want as much data as you could possibly give me. Let my algorithms sort through it at machine speed. It’s really hard for me to do that without an enterprise cloud solution.” His comments were echoed by the department’s chief information officer, Dana Deasy, in a rare on-the-record co-briefing to the press they held last week.In order to move quickly to find efficiencies, create new resiliency, and provide a single point of contact for all IT operations, the Department of Defense needs to thoroughly but quickly complete these investigations. If there are real instances of malfeasance, they should be uncovered and the perpetrators punished forthwith. Frankly, Secretary Esper has an unattractive set of options, including starting the competition over; pressing forward to award despite the external pressure; or searching for some middle ground that may satisfy nobody. Whether he can power through all the sand in the gears here will be the first test of his leadership abilities, and will be among the most important he will face.In the likely scenario that all this smoke reveals not much fire but rather disgruntled competitors and political angst (and a strong component of anti-Amazon influence from the White House, where Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is despised), Esper should press through to a contract award as soon as is legally appropriate. Warfighting in the 21st century will be “brain on brain” combat, and a large, singular cloud structure is the gray matter the U.S. military needs.To contact the author of this story: James Stavridis at jstavridis@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Tobin Harshaw at tharshaw@bloomberg.netThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also an operating executive consultant at the Carlyle Group and chairs the board of counselors at McLarty Associates.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy
    InvestorPlace

    5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy

    If you're like me, the last week or so has made you a bit seasick. Thanks to the escalating trade war, dwindling economic data and perhaps missteps by the Federal Reserve, volatility is rising. Heck, the so-called "fear index" -- the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) -- has spiked to levels not seen in years. That's making for some nasty swings in the overall market. For many investors, those swings are resulting in plenty of sleepless nights. There's nothing worse than being on the cusp of retirement and having to deal with this volatility.With a hefty dose of dividend stocks, you don't have to.By nature, dividend stocks are generally less volatile than non-dividend stocks. That's because getting 2%-4% in cash helps smooth out returns, no matter what the market is doing. At the same time, in order to continue paying those quarterly checks, dividend stocks tend to be of higher quality, featuring steady revenues, low debt and wide moats. As a result, investors tend to abandon dividend stocks less than non-payers during times of duress and their overall volatility is lower.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What This is exactly where investors should be focusing their attention in the weeks and months ahead. As things get dicier, dividends will help get you through.But which dividend stocks make the cut? Here are five that feature long-term dependability. Dividend Stocks To Buy: Kimberly-Clark (KMB)Source: Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com Dividend Yield: 2.95%There's nothing particularly exciting about toilet paper, diapers or tissues. But that doesn't mean that boring can't be profitable. In fact, Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB) has turned purveying paper towels into a cash flow rich niche, and one that has rewarded investors for decades.KMB owns such powerhouse brands as Huggies and Pull-Ups diapers, Kleenex tissues, Scott and Cottonelle toilet paper and Depends undergarment protectors. The firm sells these major brands across more than 175 different countries. And according to the firm's own metrics, 1 in 4 people worldwide use at least one of its products each day. This huge moat and brand penetration have continued to power the firm's revenues over its history. Last quarter, Kimberly-Clark stock managed to see a 5% jump in organic sales year-over-year.That revenue growth may not seem tech-worthy, but with continued improving margins, it's allowed KMB stock to see steadily improving profits. Here again, year-over-year earnings per share for the paper producer grew by 5%. For a steady dividend payer, this is exactly what you want to see -- rising sales and profits that are consistent. And they've been consistent enough to reward shareholders in a big way.Last quarter, KMB managed to hand out $520 million in dividends and buybacks. Management estimates that it'll fork over around $2.3 billion for such activities over the rest of the year. Medtronic (MDT)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Dividend Yield: 2.13%Forty-two years is a long time. But that's just how long Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) stock has been paying increasing dividends. This puts MDT in an elite group of dividend stocks dubbed the Dividend Aristocrats that have been rewarding investors through thick and thin.Driving that dividend growth is MDT's business model. The firm basically invented the medical devices sector when it created the first artificial heart/pacemaker back in the 1950s. Today, it's one of the largest device markers spanning a variety of cardiovascular, spine, surgery and other products needed by doctors and hospitals. This vast portfolio churns out plenty of steady cash flows and sales. Last quarter alone, Medtronic managed to sell more than $8 billion worth of devices.The best part is that MDT stock has continued to see some big growth as well.The device maker continues to move into higher-margin and more high-tech devices such as advanced diabetes monitors that use artificial intelligence to determine insulin levels. Sales of these devices have been swift. This has improved MDT's profitability profile and helped boost its cash flows further. And MDT has been sharing those cash flows with investors. The firm recently upped its dividend by 8%, following a 9% boost last year. * 7 Safe Dividend Stocks for Investors to Buy Right Now With new devices pulling in high margins and old devices making plenty of steady sales, MDT could be one of the best dividend stocks to buy in this market. Medtronic yields 2.13%. Oracle (ORCL)Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com Dividend Yield: 1.8%Truth be told, many investors have forgotten about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) in favor of smaller, faster-growing tech stocks. That's a real shame as Larry Ellison's baby is still a great firm and increasingly, a wonderful dividend stock.The enterprise software giant has successfully transitioned to the cloud and now offers a variety of database management and other products to meet the needs of businesses. And if it couldn't build it on its own, Ellison has been very successful in buying what it needs. It added cloud-based enterprise resource planning software maker NetSuite in 2016 and construction project management software firm Aconex back in 2017.The transition to the cloud has been successful for Oracle. Over the course of fiscal 2019, ORCL managed to pull in nearly $40 billion in total revenue. However, cloud services and licenses managed to make up 82% of those. Better still, ORCL stock has continued to see improving margins from these operations.This has flooded the firm with cash. At the end of last quarter, ORCL had more than $37 billion in cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet. This gives it plenty of room to buy out additional cloud players and reward shareholders. Since initiating a dividend in 2009, Oracle has managed to grow its payout by 380%. This includes its last 26% boost at the start of the year.For income seekers, ORCL stock shouldn't be ignored. While its 1.8% yield isn't super high, it has the goods to keep its growth over the long haul. Extra Space Storage (EXR)Source: dennizn / Shutterstock.com Dividend Yield: 3%Some of the biggest beneficiaries of the last downturn were the self-storage real estate investment trusts. Americans have a lot of stuff, and as the housing crisis hit, many families were forced to downsize into smaller homes and apartments. That meant finding a place for all their Christmas decorations, family heirlooms and vintage Beanie Babies. This has made Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) a wonderful dividend stock to own over the last few years.That's because for the storage unit owners, it's a game of scale. Most of the sector is owned by mom and pop operators, so giants like Extra Space are able to use their massive size to often price out these operators from the market. Better still, firms like EXR can often offer them attractive buyouts -- which only then improves its own cash flows. Right now, EXR owns nearly 1700 self-storage facilities across the country and continues to smartly add to that pool of assets.That huge pool of facilities continues to work wonders for the firm's cash flows. Since 2006, funds from operations at Extra Space have managed to surge by more than 600%. That beats the pants off its rivals like Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) and CubeSmart (NYSE:CUBE). Rising funds from operations directly translates into bigger dividends. Over the last five years, EXR stock has seen its dividend jump by 91%. * 5 Cheap Stocks to Buy Now That the Fed Cut Rates Given its history of dividend growth during times of stress, EXR could be one of the best dividend stocks as we approach another dicey economic situation. iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF)Dividend Yield: 5.3%Perhaps the best way to avoid the stress and volatility of the recent market is to blend the world of dividend stocks and bonds together. We're talking about preferred stocks. Offering steady coupon-like dividend payouts and callable par value, preferred stocks are a naturally lower-volatility choice for portfolios. However, given the low volumes and hard to research nature of the sector, a broad approach is best. And for that, the iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (NASDAQ:PFF) is the best choice.With almost $16 billion in assets and nearly 2 million in daily trading volume, PFF is the largest exchange-traded fund tracking the sector. With it's underlying index -- the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index -- tracks more than 470 different preferred stocks. Financials and utilities make up the bulk of holdings, with preferred stocks issued by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) and NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) leading the pack.That huge portfolio of preferred stocks provides plenty of diversification and manages to push out a big 5.3% dividend yield. Even better is that PFF pays that dividend monthly -- an added benefit for those in retirement. Returns for the ETF have mostly been via that dividend, highlighting the stability of owning preferred stocks.With expenses of just 0.46%, or $46 per $10,000 invested, PFF makes a great choice to boost yield, while still owning dividend stocks in the wavy market environment.At the time of writing, Aaron Levitt did not own any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Stocks Under $5 to Buy for Fall * 5 Stocks to Avoid Amid the Ongoing Trade War * 7 5G Stocks to Buy Now for the Future The post 5 Dependable Dividend Stocks to Buy appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • Google Cloud continues market share battle via changes in sales team's pay
    American City Business Journals

    Google Cloud continues market share battle via changes in sales team's pay

    New, bonus-driven compensation plan took hold on July 1, not unlike how SAP and Oracle pay their salespeople.

  • 3 Big Stock Charts for Thursday: Oracle, Salesforce and Union Pacific
    InvestorPlace

    3 Big Stock Charts for Thursday: Oracle, Salesforce and Union Pacific

    The S&P 500 lost nearly 3% of its value yesterday, as an inversion of the yield curve convinced enough traders the risk of a recession is all too real. It remains to be seen if investors will continue to believe it, but the selloff to date still doesn't qualify as a full-blown "correction."Source: Shutterstock Macy's (NYSE:M) led the way with its 13% plunge in response to a big earnings miss, underscored by warnings that tariffs were becoming problematic. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) fell 6%, as it was pegged as one of the more vulnerable names of a global economic slowdown.Yet, there were some winners despite Wednesday's misery. FireEye (NASDAQ:FEYE), for instance, gained nearly 3% for reasons investors are still trying to ferret out. Rival cybersecurity stocks didn't fare any better than the broad market did on Wednesday.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 15 Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Haul Headed into Thursday's action, keep a close eye on the stock charts of Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP). These names may make for your best trading bets. Union Pacific (UNP)It ended up coming back from the brink of the start of a truly devastating breakdown thanks to yesterday's late-session rally. But, Union Pacific shares remain uncomfortably close to that last-ditch line in the sand. If one more bad day is allowed to take shape, it could mean a key floor snaps and opens the floodgates. And, for the record, UNP shares are likely already fighting a losing battle for two (semi-related) reasons.The good news is, the most plausible landing spots for any pullback are well defined. * Click to EnlargeThe last-ditch line in the sand is $163.50, plotted in red on both stock charts. That's where Union Pacific have found lows since June, and near where the white 200-day moving average line is now. * Zooming out to the weekly chart of UNP it becomes clear that the stock is being guided higher within the confines of bullish trend lines. The recent bump into the upper one sets the stage for a retreat back to the lower one, both marked in blue. (The red dashed line as an alternative floor.) * It's not evident on the chart, but railroad traffic has been tepid this year, with traffic falling back below 2017's and 2018's levels. Oracle (ORCL)It has more to do with the broad market's weakness than Oracle in particular. Nevertheless, the situation ORCL shares are in leaves them more vulnerable to major trouble than what most other stocks are facing at this time. And, the bears have already tipped what seems to be a pretty strong hand.There's also a great deal of similarity to the UNP stock chart. That is, Oracle shares are in a major, long-term uptrend but due for at least a small pullback to the lower edge of that trading channel. * 7 5G Stocks to Buy Now for the Future * Click to EnlargeAs was the case with Union Pacific, Oracle's long-term bullish trading range is marked with blue lines on the weekly chart. The other potential floor is plotted with a red dashed line. Both will be around $46 by the time they could be tested. * It's not likely to be a coincidence that Wednesday's selling was halted right at the 200-day moving average, plotted in white on both stock charts. * Although not decidedly bearish yet, notice there seems to be more bearish volume than not. The daily chart's falling accumulation-distribution line quantifies that mostly qualitative idea. Salesforce (CRM)Finally, as far as breakdowns go, the line Salesforce has dished out since the beginning of this month has been sloppy to the point of being untrustworthy. That is to say, this usually choppy stock could easily, seemingly, snap back to a bullish mode with just the smallest bit of help from the broad market.On the other hand, we're seeing a few more subtle red flags now that we hadn't seen in a long while. Things could get worse for owners before they get better. * Click to EnlargeThe chief concern is the break below the 200-day moving average line, marked in white on both stock charts. Underscoring that potential problem is the fact that all other moving average lines are en-route to falling below the 200-day line as well. * Although we've seen volume spikes on bearish days before, we've not yet seen persistently bearish days with this much sustained selling volume. * With no other technical framework to point to likely landing spots, the next most likely floor is around $123.35, where the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement line awaits.As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. You can learn more about him at his website jamesbrumley.com, or follow him on Twitter, at @jbrumley. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Stocks Under $5 to Buy for Fall * 5 Stocks to Avoid Amid the Ongoing Trade War * 7 5G Stocks to Buy Now for the Future The post 3 Big Stock Charts for Thursday: Oracle, Salesforce and Union Pacific appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • Oracle Solutions Aid Clientele to Enhance Business Processes
    Zacks

    Oracle Solutions Aid Clientele to Enhance Business Processes

    Robust adoption of Oracle's (ORCL) Autonomous Database is likely to aid the company in enhancing presence in the Database-as-a-Service market. Further, expanding retail clientele bodes well.

  • Where Do Donations Go? 71 Percent of Nonprofits Struggle to Measure Outcomes
    PR Newswire

    Where Do Donations Go? 71 Percent of Nonprofits Struggle to Measure Outcomes

    REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Aug. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit organizations are struggling to demonstrate the outcome of their work according to a new study conducted by Oracle NetSuite. The study, Connecting Dollars to Outcomes, which provides insights from more than 350 senior nonprofit executives in the U.S., found that while nonprofit executives believe that outcomes measurement supports their top three priorities for 2019 - financial stability, staff turnover and donor retention - only 29 percent of nonprofits are able to effectively measure the outcomes of dollars invested. "Nonprofits have consistently been challenged with measuring their impact," said Lauren Woodman, CEO of NetHope.

  • Oracle Falls 3%
    Investing.com

    Oracle Falls 3%

    Investing.com - Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) fell by 3.04% to trade at $52.32 by 12:54 (16:54 GMT) on Wednesday on the NYSE exchange.

  • Fast-Growing Pizza Chain Enlists Oracle to Fuel Expansion
    PR Newswire

    Fast-Growing Pizza Chain Enlists Oracle to Fuel Expansion

    With 10 locations in Winnipeg and Toronto, Za Pizza Bistro is focused on taking its slice of the market by serving up delicious, "custom, fast, fired' pies to customers. Whether it's a Za Pizza storefront or its inaugural food truck, Oracle MICROS Simphony Point of Sale helps the chain deliver speedy service and seamless ordering and payments for guests. Click here to hear more about Za Pizza's Oracle growth story.

  • Take Your Time With IBM Stock as it Digests its Behemoth Linux Maker Deal
    InvestorPlace

    Take Your Time With IBM Stock as it Digests its Behemoth Linux Maker Deal

    IBM (NYSE:IBM) shares have tumbled this month. Since its investor presentation on August 2, IBM stock has fallen from $146.58 a share to $134.12. Reducing its 2019 earnings guidance, IBM anticipates that the recent Red Hat acquisition will not contribute to earnings until 2021.Source: Shutterstock The adjustments to earnings are due to non-cash write-downs of deferred revenue. As InvestorPlace contributor Mark Hake wrote last week, IBM has suspended its stock buyback program in order to pay for the Linux maker.But with the Red Hat adding much needed growth, what's the verdict with International Business Machines stock? Is there upside for long term investors? Or is there additional downside to the IBM stock price? Let's have a closer look at why IBM stock may be a buy at today's price.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips Red Hat Adds Growth PotentialPrior to the Red Heat deal, IBM was treading water. The company released earnings on July 17. For the second quarter of 2019, revenue was down year-over-year. Sales were $19.1 billion, down from $20 billion in the prior year's quarter. The company's Cloud and Business Services unit saw slight growth (5% and 3% YoY, respectively), but declines in the Global Technology Services and Systems units countered this improvement. Despite this slight revenue slip, IBM managed to keep quarterly operating income steady at ~$2.8 billion. * 8 Dividend Aristocrat Stocks to Buy Now No Matter What The Red Hat deal adds a variety of growth catalysts to the International Business Machines story. For one thing, the acquisition makes IBM a bigger player in the $1 trillion cloud computing space. The deal is expected to accelerate revenue growth and improve gross margins. The deal is also very synergistic. IBM can now sell Red Hat's suite of solutions to their existing customer base. With IBM's global reach, the company could expand Red Hat's business better than Red Hat would have done as an independent company.But is this deal a guaranteed slam-dunk? In the past, IBM's M&A activity has been focused on small bolt-on deals. At $34 billion, this acquisition is quite a large bite. The company could experience headwinds integrating Red Hat into its operations. Failing to meet investor expectations, the IBM stock price could see additional downside if the deal's benefits take longer to realize.With this in mind, is the risk worth the potential return? Are investors paying a premium or getting a bargain? IBM Stock ValuationWith its weak growth over the past few years, IBM stock sells at a fairly low valuation. Shares currently trade at a forward price/earnings (forward P/E) ratio of 11.8x. The company's trailing 12-month (TTM) enterprise value/EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) is 8.9x. Compare this to Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), which trades for 26.3 times forward earnings, and an EV/EBITDA ratio of 18.4x. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) trades for 17 times forward earnings, and an EV/EBITDA ratio of 12.4x. SAP (NYSE:SAP) trades for 40.8 times earnings, and has an EV/EBITDA ratio of 18.5x.Comparing IBM to similar large information technology companies, it appears shares trade at a discount. With the aforementioned weak growth in mind, such a valuation is justified. But with the Red Heat deal adding growth potential, there could be substantial upside to the IBM stock price. If the company can pull it off, shares should see material appreciation in the next few years.But is now the time to buy IBM stock? Or will investors have an opportunity to buy on subsequent dips?There are many ways IBM stock could go lower. Enterprise IT is not like making widgets. The constantly evolving landscape makes it tough for established companies like IBM to stay relevant. The elimination of stock buybacks reduces the company's ability to shore up earnings per share. * 7 Stocks Under $7 to Invest in Now What if IBM decides to cut its dividend to reduce debt? The company has not cut the dividend since its early-90s turnaround. However, even with its high debt load, the company's $12 billion in free cash flow is more than enough to support the current $6.48 per share payout. The dividend cut is a low-risk scenario, but still possible given the company's need to reduce debt. Bottom Line: Patience is Advised With IBM StockInternational Business Machines stock is clearly undervalued. The investment community has written off Big Blue, continuing to believe the company remains a dinosaur. With the Red Hat acquisition, IBM can prove the bears wrong, and deliver acceptable revenue growth going forward. But with IBM's history of making stumbles, it is tough to take their investor presentations without a grain of salt. With this in mind, there could be additional downside to the IBM stock price.In the event of additional bad news, IBM stock may be a screaming buy. If the Red Hat deal faces short-term headwinds, shares could trade at fire sale prices. Until then, keep an eye on IBM stock, but don't bet the ranch.As of this writing, Thomas Niel did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 2 Toxic Pot Stocks You Should Avoid * 10 Real Estate Investments to Ride Out the Current Storm * 7 Marijuana Penny Stocks to Consider for Those Who Can Handle Risk * 7 Safe Dividend Stocks for Investors to Buy Right Now The post Take Your Time With IBM Stock as it Digests its Behemoth Linux Maker Deal appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • JEDI reviews offer DOD ‘a ton of options,’ but restart unlikely
    American City Business Journals

    JEDI reviews offer DOD ‘a ton of options,’ but restart unlikely

    There’s not a lot of time left on the clock to get JEDI off the ground. For that reason, the DOD might consider awarding the contract to a single vendor and then farming out other capabilities.

  • Pentagon's Watchdog Vows to Move Fast in Cloud Contract Probe
    Bloomberg

    Pentagon's Watchdog Vows to Move Fast in Cloud Contract Probe

    (Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon’s inspector general is “expeditiously” conducting an extensive review of the Defense Department’s JEDI cloud-computing project, including potential conflicts of interest and misconduct in the competition that may generate as much as $10 billion in revenue.“We are reviewing the DoD’s handing of the JEDI cloud acquisition, including the development of requirements and the request for proposal process,” spokeswoman Dwrena Allen said in a statement Tuesday, offering the first details of the previously announced review requested by lawmakers.The watchdog office’s inquiry began before President Donald Trump endorsed criticism by rivals that the pending contract award favors Amazon.com Inc., the leading cloud services provider. New Defense Secretary Mark Esper has initiated his own review of the project.“A multidisciplinary team” of auditors, investigators and attorneys is investigating JEDI matters “referred to us by members of Congress and through the DoD Hotline,” Allen said. “In addition, we are investigating whether current or former DoD officials committed misconduct relating to the JEDI acquisition, such as whether any had any conflicts of interest related to their involvement in the acquisition process.”‘Sensitive’ ReviewAllen said the review “is ongoing and our team is making substantial progress. We recognize the importance and time sensitive nature of the issues, and we intend to complete our review as expeditiously as possible.”The inspector general intends to write a report and notify Esper, Defense Department leaders and Congress under standard protocols, she said. “We will also consider publicly releasing the results, consistent with our standard processes,” she said.Dana Deasy, the Pentagon’s chief information officer, told reporters Friday that if Esper’s review is complete before the inspector general issues findings “we would obviously have a conversation with the IG” to assesses if there’s “reason to pause” in advance of making a contract award for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure program, or JEDI.The contract was originally going to be awarded as soon as late August. The Defense Department previously determined that allegations of unethical conduct didn’t taint the acquisition process but it referred possible instances of unethical conduct to the inspector general.Trump stunned tech companies, the Defense Department and lawmakers when he openly questioned whether the pending contract is being competitively bid. “I’m getting tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and with Amazon,” he told reporters last month. Trump has often attacked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post. Microsoft Corp. is the only other bidder that hasn’t been eliminated.Oracle Corp. has spearheaded the campaign against the contract, but a federal claims court judge last month rejected its contention that the project was fatally tainted by revolving-door conflicts of interest involving people who worked at times for the Pentagon and Amazon or that the acquisition strategy was improper.To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Larry LiebertFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Stealthy cloud backup biz from Oracle and VMware vets emerges with $51M funding
    American City Business Journals

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  • Software Player Parlays Oracle Autonomous Database to Speed Retail Operations
    PR Newswire

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    REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Aug. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- JASCI Software, a leader in cloud supply-chain, is leveraging Oracle's Autonomous Database technology, continuing to innovate and scale its SaaS platform. With the world's first self-driving database, JASCI's enterprise customers are able to process twice as many orders at half the labor costs, which is critical to success in an industry where profit margins are razor thin. With Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing, JASCI can scale and secure real-time order fulfillment processing to meet customers' ever-growing demands for expedited and smarter order delivery. The database provides the flexibility to instantly scale up CPU and storage capacity for seasonal or spikes in demand.  Additionally, JASCI is now able to allocate IT resources more strategically, enabling employees to focus on delivering supply chain expertise to customers while the database tunes, patches and upgrades itself, helping ensure security of critical customer data and availability of the system.

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    GuruFocus.com

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  • Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) Earns Among The Best Returns In Its Industry
    Simply Wall St.

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  • Bloomberg

    Pentagon Pushes Back on ‘Misleading’ Cloud Contract Criticism

    (Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon fought back Friday, defending the cloud-computing contract valued at as much as $10 billion that President Donald Trump has questioned and that new Defense Secretary Mark Esper is subjecting to a fresh review.Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy told reporters at the Pentagon that he’s scheduled “education” sessions for Esper on the competition that critics, including Trump, have argued is tilted to favor Amazon.com Inc.While Esper, who took office July 23, has requested detailed briefings on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure program, Deasy said, the competition hasn’t been put on hold. “There is not a ‘pause’ on the overall JEDI program,” he said.But Deasy acknowledged that the defense secretary’s review will delay the contract award beyond the end of this month, which had been the soonest the Defense Department had said it would happen.Combative RetortsDeasy, whose presentation included a three-page document with combative retorts to criticism of the competition, said Esper supported his plans “to clarify some of the myths that are going on out there.”Trump stunned tech companies, the Defense Department and lawmakers when he openly questioned whether the pending contract is being competitively bid. “I’m getting tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and with Amazon,” he told reporters last month. Trump has often attacked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post. Microsoft Corp. is the only other bidder that hasn’t’ been eliminated.Among points in Deasy’s document defending the contract:It’s a “myth” that the contract is for $10 billion over 10 years. “DoD is not locked in” and “is under no obligations to place any orders beyond” an initial $1 million.The proposal reflects the “unique and critical needs” of the Defense Department to allow “a warfighter in Afghanistan to access the same information as an analyst in Washington, D.C., or a service member training in California.”The accusation of favoritism “has been brought by a single company that was determined to be noncompetitive,” a clear reference to Oracle Corp.Oracle has spearheaded the campaign against the contract, but a federal claims court judge last month rejected its contention that the project was fatally tainted by revolving-door conflicts of interest involving people who worked at times for the Pentagon and Amazon or that the acquisition strategy was improper.The Defense Department’s inspector general is working on its own report on the conflict of interest questions. Deasy said that if the report isn’t finished by the time Esper completes his review, “we would obviously have a conversation with the IG” before awarding the contract to see if there’s “reason to pause.”To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Capaccio in Washington at acapaccio@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

  • Hackett Group Inc (HCKT) Q2 2019 Earnings Call Transcript
    Motley Fool

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    Motley Fool

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  • DOJ Scrutinizes Google Advertising, Search in Antitrust Probe
    Bloomberg

    DOJ Scrutinizes Google Advertising, Search in Antitrust Probe

    (Bloomberg) -- The Justice Department is scrutinizing Google’s digital advertising and search operations as authorities gear up a broad antitrust review of the market power of giant internet companies, according to people familiar with the matter.Antitrust officials have been actively meeting over the past month with third-party companies that could have grievances against Google, including publishers and consumer-facing websites, said two people familiar with the matter. Advertisers and ad-tech companies have also met with the officials, and more meetings are on the calendar, one of the people said.The focus on advertising and search operations signals where the department could be taking its inquiry, which is in its early stages and could drag on for months. The range of companies meeting with the antitrust officials goes beyond those that have previously voiced complaints, which include Oracle Corp., News Corp. and Yelp Inc., the person said.Bloomberg reported in June that the Justice Department was preparing to investigate Google, but this is the first indication of the status and scope of the review.The antitrust division, led by Makan Delrahim, is pouring resources into the inquiry, drawing in lawyers from other sections of the agency to study the issues, one of the people said. While the division is exploring the digital advertising and search markets in the review’s initial stages, it will continue to narrow down the ultimate focus, one of the people said.Google controls much of the technology that news publishers and marketers use to serve ads across the internet and nets most of its revenue from ads. The company reported $116.3 billion in advertising revenue last year, which represented 85% of overall sales. It doesn’t break out its revenue by channels. Publishers and rivals have complained that Google’s dominance hinders competition in that market. Earlier this year, the European Union fined Google $1.7 billion for violating competition law with its online practices.Google said its innovations have reduced prices and expanded choice for consumers and merchants, pointing to its testimony before a House antitrust panel in July. “We have created new competition in many sectors, and new competitive pressures often lead to concerns from rivals,” Google lawyer Adam Cohen said in prepared comments for the hearing. “We have consistently shown how our business is designed and operated to benefit our customers.”The Justice Department declined to comment. The people described the investigation under condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the inquiry.Attorney General William Barr has elevated a lawyer from the antitrust division to be his point person on the review, signaling his hands-on interest in the issue. Lauren Willard has been appointed to serve as his counselor and report to him on developments in the inquiry, according to a department official.The Justice Department last month announced its broad review of whether technology giants are hurting competition following mounting criticism across Washington that the companies have become too big and too powerful. The department hasn’t specified which firms it would scrutinize.Bloomberg reported in June that U.S. antitrust agencies carved up oversight of four tech giants, with the department taking Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc., and the Federal Trade Commission claiming Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.Read More: Far From Silicon Valley, Trustbusters Plotted Big Tech AssaultThe investigation is a sign of the escalating pressure on tech giants, from Capitol Hill to President Donald Trump, who accuses the companies of silencing conservative views.The giants of the industry are under fire over massive collection of user data, failing to police content on their platforms, and claims that they are harming competition and reducing choices for consumers.\--With assistance from Chris Strohm, Naomi Nix, Mark Bergen and Ben Brody.To contact the reporters on this story: Sara Forden in Washington at sforden@bloomberg.net;David McLaughlin in Washington at dmclaughlin9@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Mark NiquetteFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.