Topic: How To Invest

Pat, Could I have your views on Oracle Corp.?

Article Excerpt

Oracle Corp., $17.11, symbol ORCL on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 5.05 billion; Market cap: $86.3 billion), makes and sells database software and middleware (software that connects computer servers). Companies use Oracle’s database-management software to store and access data. Oracle also offers software for data warehousing, customer relationship management and supply chain management. In the three months ended November 30, 2008, revenues rose 6%, to $5.7 billion from $5.4 billion a year earlier. Earnings rose 8.2%, to $1.75 billion, or $0.34 a share, from $1.6 billion, or $0.31 a share. Oracle spent 11.6% of its sales in the quarter on research and development. In the latest quarter, new software license sales fell 3%, software updates and product support were up 15% and services fell 2%. Services contributed 20% of sales, while software accounted for 80%. Geographically, revenues from the Americas rose 8.6%, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, 1% and the Asia Pacific region, 6.2%. Oracle holds $10.6 billion, or $2.11 a..