Oracle Posts Big Gains for Quarter
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New software licensing revenue growth -the highest in ten years for the company--helped boost Oracle's first quarter financials.
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(InfoWorld) - The tech-heavy Nasdaq has been climbing recently, spurred by some of the usual suspects, such as Google. But Oracle results and prospects for chip makers also inspired confidence among IT investors this week. Expectations have not been great this year for mature areas of the enterprise software market. But Oracle inspired IT investors this week with aÂ strong financial reportÂ that indicates its acquisition strategy has been paying off. Quarterly revenue rose 20 percent to $5.8 billion and profit increased 23 percent to $1.6 billion. Excluding extraordinary charges, Oracle's $0.37 per share in the quarter beat estimates by analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who had forecast $0.35 per share. Oracle shares jumped $0.53 to close at $19.69 on Wednesday, a day after the earnings report, and continued strong. Over the last three years, including theÂ PeopleSoft deal, Oracle has made about 30 purchases for approximately $25 billion. For example, business intelligence software maker Hyperion,Â a recent acquisition, added $43 million to Oracle's new license revenue in the quarter. Oracle is now going after companies that will help the company target sales in vertical markets. On the post-earnings report conference call with analysts, CEO Larry Ellison said that Oracle will continue its acquisition strategy. Meanwhile, Google continues to break records and expectations. Brokerages, including Oppenheimer & Co., Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., and JMP Securities,Â issued bullish analysis reports this weekÂ and raised share-price targets after seeing the company's share price rise about 15 percent over the last quarter. As Google continues to dominate search advertising, however, it has also spent lavishly on R&D, technology infrastructure and acquisitions. Though profit has been great, the spending has sparked some debate. But this week, JMP's Bill Morrison added a new twist to conventional thinking, writing in a research report that the capital expenditures have given Google a cost-efficient technology platform. This platform gives Google an ongoing cost advantage over competitors, he said. After the report, Google shares hit their highest close on Tuesday since the company's 2004 IPO, although they drifted down over the next few days. In the chip sector, a price war between Intel and AMD, coupled with expectations for a soft PC market this year, has caused concern. But some new reports and forecasts have cheered investors lately. Lehman Brothers raised its rating on Intel this week to "overweight" from "equal weight." Lehman analyst Tim Luke cited new product cycles, progress on restructuring, and a reasonable share valuation. The report echoed a similar research paper issued by brokerage Stifel Nicolaus and Co. last week, only that one was directed at AMD. Meanwhile, GartnerÂ said this week that worldwide personal computer shipments are projected to rise 11.1 percent in 2007, higher than previously expected. PC shipments are estimated to increase to 257.1 million from 231.5 million a year earlier as sales in emerging markets grow, Gartner said, in the wake of a similar report several weeks ago from IDC. The news caused shares of Intel and AMD to spike. Intel shares closed at $23.79 Wednesday, up by $0.41, and continued strong Thursday. AMD also spiked on Wednesday, though lost some ground later in the week.
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Oracle Corp.  on Monday posted a 21 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by sales of business software licenses to the customers of acquired rivals like Siebel Systems and PeopleSoft.
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U.S. stocks rose on Friday after  robust results from software maker Oracle Corp   brightened the outlook for technology, helping the Dow and S&P  turn in their best weekly performance since March.
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Business software maker Oracle  Corp.  posted a profit on Tuesday that topped Wall  Street estimates and forecast solid growth this quarter, and  its shares rose 9 percent to their highest level in four years.
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Oracle Corp. ORCL.O on Thursday   posted a higher quarterly profit, helped by   stronger-than-expected new software license revenue.
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LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- Oracle shares jumped Wednesday morning after the corporate software giant&#39;s quarterly results narrowly outpaced expectations overnight, with strength at its core database operations offsetting declines in its applications business.
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Oracle reported second-quarter 2005 earnings that beat analyst expectations today, thanks to new software revenue and continued gains from license updates and product support.
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Business software giant Oracle Corp. said Tuesday that first-quarter earnings rose 16 percent driven by new database license sales that rose 19 percent.
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Oracle Corp  posted a 35 percent  rise in quarterly profit on higher-than-expected software sales  and issued a strong outlook, easing concerns it may be hurt by  the slowing U.S. economy and pushing its shares up 6.5 percent.
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Oracle on Tuesday announced a 16 percent increase in its first-quarter net income, attributing the gain to demand for its database software, Oracle Database 10g.
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Oracle reported second-quarter 2005 earnings that beat analyst expectations on Monday, thanks to new software revenue and continued gains from licence updates and product support.
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Stocks opened higher as investors grew encouraged following Oracleâs strong earnings, despite Bear Stearns  first-ever quarterly loss.
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Oracle Corp.'s fiscal fourth-quarter profit topped analyst expectations, providing further validation for a $25 billion shopping spree that has enabled the software maker to narrow rival SAP AG's long-standing lead in the business applications market.
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Business software maker Oracle  Corp.  said on Thursday its fourth-quarter profit would  beat company forecasts as new software license revenue rose a  better-than-expected 32 percent.
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Oracle (ORCL) on Tuesday posted a 16% jump in quarterly earnings, surpassing analyst estimates, despite listless sales in an area it hopes to buttress by buying rival PeopleSoft (PSFT).
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SAN FRANCISCO - Business software maker Oracle Corp.'s quarterly earnings exceeded analyst expectations, despite sluggish sales in a product line that the company hopes to bolster by completing a long-sought takeover of rival PeopleSoft Inc.    The Redwood Shores-based company said Tuesday it earned $509 million, or 10 cents per share, during the three months ended in August, a 16 percent improvement from $440 million, or 8 cents per share, at the same time last year...