Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL) is scheduled to report its fiscal second-quarter financial results after the markets close on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for $0.60 in earnings per share (EPS) and $9.12 billion in revenue. The same period of last year reportedly had $0.63 in EPS and revenue of $9.00 billion.
During the first quarter, the overall top-line growth of Oracle’s two strategic businesses was driven by SaaS and PaaS revenues growing 82% in constant currency, substantially outperforming guidance. As the SaaS and PaaS businesses continue their rapid growth, management expects gross margins to climb from 62% this quarter toward its 80% target.
Shares started out 2016 with a bang, but then for most of the spring and summer traded sideways. Oracle saw a slight pull back in the fall, but ultimately shares have recovered close to their highs.
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So far in 2016, Oracle has performed more or less in line with the broad markets, with the stock up about 11.5%.
A few analysts weighed in on Oracle ahead of the earnings report:
- Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a Buy rating with a $48 price target.
- RBC Capital Markets reiterated an Outperform rating with a $43 price target.
- Cowen reiterated a Buy rating with a $46 price target.
- D.A. Davidson has a Buy rating with a $52 price target.
- Drexel Hamilton has a Buy rating with a $47 price target.
- Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $51 price target.
- Goldman Sachs has a Buy rating with a $47 price target.
- Sanford Bernstein reiterated an Outperform rating with a $52 price target.
- BTIG Research has a Buy rating with a $47 price target.
- Wedbush has a Neutral rating with a $41 price target.
Shares of Oracle were trading at $40.75 on Wednesday, with a consensus analyst price target of $44.13 and a 52-week trading range of $33.13 to $42.00.
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