OracleORCLBUYDec 08, 2023Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 04, 2026. Market Open.
They delivered a strong quarter yesterday. When Oracle issued debt to pay for its big data centre build-out, investors became concerned over its credit, starting last fall. However, their Q3 had many highlights: top and bottom line beat and every division except their smallest posted better than expected sales. Also, their operating margin rose over the last quarter. EPS also grew. Q4 guidance: 19-21% revenue growth, higher than expected. Meanwhile, OpenAI completed its fundraising so it can pay its bills for the short/medium term; Oracle doesn't have to worry about this in their partnership with OpenAI.
They're putting their eggs into one basket, OpenAI, to build its massive infrastructure. They carry a lot of debt and lack the cash flow of the hyperscalers who are building data centres. To raise funding, Oracle issued debt. Credit default swaps on this debt blew out. Also, the Google vs. OpenAI rivalry happened, with Google outperforming OpenAI. However, Oracle is hiring Microsoft engineers to build the data centres, so if they pull this off, there could be a lot of upside. Don't count them out, but it wouldn't hurt to de-risk and trim your position.
By 2030, earnings should about double due to new Stargate venture with OpenAI. That will take a lot of debt. Training margins with its AI training model won't be the highest, though still quite good. After all that, can it regain market share? More likely yes than no, but understand what you're signing up for.
Keep your position size modest, and make sure to diversify elsewhere.
Reports Monday. A solid software company that trades at a reasonable PE and rarely misses earnings. But last time, they disappointed and shares plunged from $126 to $100. Some felt they overpaid for a second-tier electronic records company. Some feel they will leverage their huge data centre group into a gen-AI powerhouse. Wall Street has fallen back in love with AI, which has helped stocks recover.