Maybe you already are. Good for you. Most investors aren't. They're still waiting for the big pay off. The problem is that most of them don't understand that there are several ways to be rich. Here are three ways to get yours.

For most people it takes a long time to gather enough wealth to feel comfortable, a great way to define rich. It takes years of saving, investing, and sacrificing for future rewards. It's not easily done, but if done correctly, it will pay off.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Why Aren't You Rich?

Comfort Zone Investing: Why Aren't You Rich? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Oracle Volatility Flat into EPS and Oracle OpenWorld originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"With the uber-ambitious Ellison and Hurd now paired, I think the safe bet is we're going so see Oracle (ORCL) make some major moves (yes, probably more than one major acquisition)," suggests tech sector expert Paul McWilliams.

The editor of Next Inning explains, "After all, even without Hurd at his side, Oracle founder, Larry Ellison has been an aggressive buyer and now with Hurd on board I think the appetite could become ravenous.

"I think its probably a good idea to start thinking about what Oracle might do next.

Continue reading Who's Next? Speculating on Tech Takeovers

Who's Next? Speculating on Tech Takeovers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Mark Hurd took the CEO spot for Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) in 2005, the board wanted to put an end to the drama. After all, the company's former CEO, Carly Fiorina, was a magnet for controversy. Hurd, on the other hand, was a no-nonsense operator.

Well, over the past month, he appears much different. Of course, the trigger was the resignation over allegations of sexual harassment and false expense reports. Maybe Hurd is the Manchurian CEO?

Continue reading Oracle's Hurd May Get $10 Million Next Year

Oracle's Hurd May Get $10 Million Next Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hurd Moves to Oracle (ORCL): A New Reason to Buy

Hurd Moves to Oracle (ORCL): A New Reason to Buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Mark Hurd, is in talks with enterprise software maker Oracle (ORCL) about becoming an executive there. Hurd left HP in early August following allegations of sexual harassment by a former contractor. An investigation failed to find any evidence of sexual misconduct by Hurd.

What position Hurd may take up is unknown; Oracle's founder and CEO, Larry Ellison, will not be stepping down from his position, according to people familiar with the matter. Ellison did criticize HP's board for ousting Hurd, telling the New York Times that the board had failed to act in the best interest of its shareholders, employees and customers.

Continue reading Mark Hurd to Replace Oracle's Larry Ellison?

Mark Hurd to Replace Oracle's Larry Ellison? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The foolishness that goes on in the adult world sets a poor example for the next generation. The poor decisions, arrogance and even stupidity of the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) board of directors and the equally unfit to lead NCAA is shameful. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle (ORCL) is correct in calling out the board of HP for firing CEO Mark Hurd, understanding the harm and injustice done to the company and its shareholders.

I can think of no more hypocritical organization then the NCAA, which has also shown itself to lack a sense of fair play and justice, while holding itself aloof and making demands of others. Its out-of-touch judgments and penalties for rules infractions make no sense, and USC students with no culpability were on the receiving end of it.

Continue reading Chasing Value™: HP and Hurd, NCAA and USC -- Misguided and Foolish

Chasing Value™: HP and Hurd, NCAA and USC -- Misguided and Foolish originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Larry Ellison to Cut His Stake in Oracle

Larry Ellison to Cut His Stake in Oracle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From his apartment in 1999, Marc Benioff started a new-fangled software company, Salesforce.com (CRM). While there have been some missteps along the way, the company is a model of success. Today, Salesforce.com generates more than $1 billion in sales, is profitable and has a market cap of $9 billion.

How did Marc do it? Well, now we have a chance to find out. That is, he has written an excellent book about his experiences and strategies, called Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company -- and Revolutionized an Industry.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: How to Create a Billion-Dollar Company

Entrepreneur's Journal: How to Create a Billion-Dollar Company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has fattened itself up by swallowing more than 50 companies in the past five years," says Richard Moroney.

In Dow Theory Forecasts, he suggests, "Oracle has proved itself capable of delivering predictable earnings even during tough times by squeezing higher returns out of its assets, including those inherited via $35 billion worth of acquisitions over the past half-decade."

"While some fear the software giant is choking on its latest meal (Sun Microsystems), the deal makes sense operationally.

Continue reading Oracle (ORCL) foresees bright future with Sun

Oracle (ORCL) foresees bright future with Sun originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A look at the lives of the Forbes 400 implies that the most important attribute is the ability to sift through ambiguity. Contradictions abound, meaning that shades of gray hold the answer to your burning desire for riches. Should you go to a great school? Well, yes ... but only if you're going for an MBA and plan to work for a major financial firm. But, you can still go to an Ivy League school if you're not studying finance but join Skull and Bones. Of course, dropping out of Harvard can be a great way to launch a career in the technology field.

It's tricky. There are no easy answers. But, the road to billions is littered with the corpses of aspiring magnates who thought it wouldn't be difficult. So, don't just read the seven attributes after the jump. Understand them. Read them twice. Then, your future financial situation will be assured.

Or, you can just do one of those chain e-mails and wish for wealth.

[Thanks, Forbes and MSNBC]

Continue reading Seven characteristics of the rich and famous: A blueprint to uber-wealth

Seven characteristics of the rich and famous: A blueprint to uber-wealth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even the mighty Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) can't seem to withstand the global recession, as IT budgets continue to tighten. At the same time, the strong U.S. dollar has taken a toll.

In fact, Oracle's fiscal fourth quarter saw the first decline in revenues since 2002. That is, revenues fell 5.2% to $6.86 billion. Profits also decreased 7.2% to $1.89 billion.

Another problem: license revenues. These fell by about 13% for the quarter. Again, this is an indication that it's tough to get new business.

Continue reading With the recession taking its toll, Oracle moves into the cloud?

With the recession taking its toll, Oracle moves into the cloud? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oracle's Ellison: We may make netbooks soon

Oracle's Ellison: We may make netbooks soon originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When reality sets in... (JAVA, ORCL, NTAP, BAC, C, PEP)

Closing Bell: When reality sets in... (JAVA, ORCL, NTAP, BAC, C, PEP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the years, Oracle's (NASDAQ: ORCL) CEO, Larry Ellison, has bulked up his company through aggressive M&A deals. Simply put, he thought there was too much capacity -- and valuations were affordable. Well, it looks like other mega tech companies are seeing the merits of this strategy. In fact, according to Reuters, it appears that this could be a big year for tech M&A.

And, there is certainly enough buying power, such as from companies like Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). Already, the deal-making is revving up. For example, IBM is in the process of paying a hefty all-cash premium for Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA). There was also Cisco's $590 purchase of Pure Digital Technologies last week.

Continue reading Is this the year of the tech deal?

Is this the year of the tech deal? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our feature on Money Losers of 2008. See all 20.

There's no doubt about it -- times are tough. People are struggling to find work and to pay the bills as the value of their homes and savings dwindle. The poor get poorer, and the rich get richer.

Or do they? It's all relative, of course, but world's billionaires have been taking some big hits too. We take a look at Sheldon Adelson, Kirk Kerkorian, and Lakshmi Mittal in their own separate posts, but here are some other billionaires who have lost billions this year (courtesy of Forbes and Business Sheet).

• Brothers Anil and Mukesh Ambani of India's private conglomerate Reliance lost $32.5 billion and $28.2 billion, respectively.
• Warren Buffett, the Sage of Omaha, lost $16.5 billion. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) are down about 32% since the beginning of the year.
• Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT) founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen lost $12.3 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively, while CEO Steve Balmer lost $6.5 billion. Shares of Microsoft are down 46% since the beginning of the year.
• Larry Page and Sergey Brin, cofounders of Google Inc. (NYSE: GOOG), lost $11.9 billion and $11.7 billion, respectively, and CEO Eric Schmidt lost $3.8 billion. The share price of Google has fallen 55% since the beginning of the year.
• Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL), lost $8.2 billion. Shares of Oracle are down 21% since the beginning of the year.
• Media maven Sumner Redstone lost $7.2 billion. Shares of his private investment firm National Amusements fell 70% this year.

Continue reading Money losers of 2008: Billionaires who lost billions this year

Money losers of 2008: Billionaires who lost billions this year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not many software companies can survive 30 years. But, that's what Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has been able to do.

In fact, according to a cover piece in Barron's [a paid publication], it looks like the company may be poised for continued success.

The company's CEO and co-founder, Larry Ellison, is a legend in the software business. He has battled with biggies like IBM (NYSE: IBM), SAP (NYSE: SAP) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). He has also conquered a variety of database operators.

But, Ellison has also been bulking up his company with savvy acquisitions, such as PeopleSoft, Siebel and BEA Systems (spending over $30 billion on dealmaking since 2005). Basically, he believes that business software is a fairly mature business and needs consolidation. What's more, the business is highly sticky. That is, once you implement an ERP system or database platform, it's pretty tough to make a change.

So far, the results have been solid. Over the past year, operating margins have gone from 36% to 42%. Then again, Oracle has benefited from economies of scale, such as with R&D, sales, customer support, and so on.

What's more, Oracle has lots of cross-sale opportunities. In fact, software licenses are up 29% to $4.4 billion. Keep in mind that this will be a source of future growth because of the ongoing maintenance fees.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Barron's: Oracle's stock ready for a move? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 May 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oracle comes up light originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The folks at NetSuite (NYSE: N) certainly have good timing. They were able to launch their IPO late last year - before the equity markets came undone.

Now, the company has released its first quarterly report as a public company. Q4 revenues spiked 57% to $31.7 million and there was a net loss of $3.3 million, which was much better than the loss of $8.1 million in the same period a year ago.

NetSuite, which is majority-owned by Oracle's (NASDAQ: ORCL) Larry Ellison, is a provider of web-based business applications. Think of it as filling the gap between Intuit's (NASDAQ: INTU) QuickBooks and mega applications from SAP (NYSE: SAP) and Oracle.

And, it's a big market opportunity. In fact, NetSuite often says that it is focused on the "Fortune Five Million" companies.

But, as is the case with other web-based providers, there is some uncertainty in the marketplace. While NetSuite isn't seeing a fall-off, the company is still providing in-line guidance - with a full-year revenue projection of $153 million to $156 million, which is a 44% increase (on the top end).

Keep in mind that NetSuite had to deal with the severe tech recession of 2001-2002 and was able to actually thrive in the environment. A key reason is that companies were looking for cost-effective solutions.

In today's trading, NetSuite's stock is down 5.62% to $22.17.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

NetSuite: Recession might not be a bad thing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ah, rumors. The stuff that makes stocks go up and down. At least juicy rumors keep things interesting.

There is some chatter in the blogosphere emanating from SiliconValleyWatcher that enterprise database vendor, Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) may be in the process of scooping up upstart Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM). Not only is SVW hearing this from a reliable source but it appears the buyout may come at a very large premium -- 50% over CRM's share price today.

I feel like this tie-up has been telegraphed from the inception of Salesforce.com as an organization. Salesforce.com plays in the SaaS (Software as a Service) space, effectively letting both large and small sales organizations rent the software that manages their sales pipelines.

I've written about SaaS vendors previously and how they harbinge the future of the software industry. Combine a pay-as-you-go model that addresses the long tail of small businesses with the sales prowess of an Oracle at the Fortune 500 level and you have an extremely interesting M&A.

As SiliconValleyWatcher posits, it's going to come down to numbers. Salesforce's effervescent (understatement) CEO, Mark Benioff, came out of Oracle and could play the role of Larry Ellison's successor. Benioff knows he has some great assets and is looking to best capture their value.

Is Oracle going to pay up?

Zack Miller is the managing editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund. Author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.

Is Oracle putting some major FORCE behind a new acquisition? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.