Oracle (ORCL) is one of the largest software player in the world, and competes withe SAP (SAP), Microsoft (MSFT) and IBM (IBM) in this market. After acquiring Sun Microsystems in 2010, Oracle became a hardware player as well with products pertaining to enterprise servers and storage hardware business. It competes mainly with IBM and HP (HPQ) in the hardware business.

Here we will analyze the three most important segments for Oracle and the value that each contributes to our $37.94 price estimate for Oracle stock. Our price estimate stands about 20% above market price.

Continue reading The Three Most Important Product Segments for Oracle

The Three Most Important Product Segments for Oracle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shares of software giant Oracle Corp. (ORCL) traded higher after the market closed Thursday as the company reported fiscal third-quarter earnings above analyst estimates.

Going into this afternoon's earnings report, analysts had been expecting to see Oracle report earnings of 50 cents per share. Excluding one time items, Oracle stated that its quarterly earnings were 54 cents.

Continue reading Better-Than-Expected Earnings Report Cheers Oracle Investors

Better-Than-Expected Earnings Report Cheers Oracle Investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If, as outlined in January, you took some profits off the table with enterprise software leader Oracle Corporation (ORCL) (first discussed here on April 7, 2009 at a price of $18.54) you made the correct move: the stock has pulled back slightly, to about $31.

That said, those investors who missed the the April 2009 entry point can take advantage of the recent dip to consider the shares, as it looks like Oracle's is headed to $40 and beyond.

Oracle's FY2011 revenue should surge about 30% to 35%, aided by hardware systems and support sales gains via acquisitions.

Continue reading Oracle: Tech Sector Winner

Oracle: Tech Sector Winner originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mobile chips leader Qualcomm (QCOM) is planning to launch a variety of 'augmented reality' software for use in different consumer applications, according to Bloomberg/Businessweek.

Qualcomm wants to drive demand for its powerful processors that can handle high speed computing tasks for mobile devices. To do that, it intends to promote processor intensive augmented reality applications. Augmented reality aims to aid consumers with what they see. By pointing the phone's camera to objects and scanning them, the application can then identify them in the database, and find relevant material.

Continue reading Qualcomm to Launch 'Augmented Reality' Software Applications

Qualcomm to Launch 'Augmented Reality' Software Applications originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So, in my earnings preview for Microsoft Corporation's (MSFT) latest quarterly report, I mentioned that I was excited to see the numbers. More importantly, I was eager to see how the market would react to the news. Well, the numbers, as well as the reaction, are here. And although my curiosity has been satisfied, my desire for a sustained rally has gone unfulfilled (yes, I am a shareholder of the company).

At the time of this writing, Microsoft is down 0.4% to $28.75 in the extended-hours trading period. The fiscal second-quarter release, posted near the end of the regular session, did cause a little action in the shares, as this item over at The Wall Street Journal indicates. But it was short-lived.

Continue reading Microsoft's Price Action After Earnings Report Not What I Wanted

Microsoft's Price Action After Earnings Report Not What I Wanted originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Adobe Systems: For High-Risk Investors, Only

Adobe Systems: For High-Risk Investors, Only originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Red Hat (RHT), an open-source software business whose colleagues include Microsoft (MSFT) and Oracle (ORCL), experienced some selling pressure in yesterday's extended-hours session. The stock was off by 2.7% to $46.60. Still, the company is closer to its 52-week high of $49 than its 52-week low of $26.51.

And if you look at the chart, you'll see that the shares have been in an uptrend following a period of sideways movement. Should an investor buy this uptrend? Is yesterday's selling action a temporary phenomenon?

Continue reading Red Hat Issues Q3 Results

Red Hat Issues Q3 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I own shares of Microsoft (MSFT) and believe the business may still offer value for investors. Therefore, it was heartening to see the software company's fiscal first-quarter report, released after the bell on Thursday. The profit growth was impressive, and the reaction by the market to the numbers will hopefully continue into Friday's regular session.

It's been a tough ride for me. Look at the one-year chart. Notice how the stock sort of plunges after hitting a peak in April? I initiated my position just before the drop and found myself forced to make additional purchases to improve the cost basis. I am, however, still underwater.

Continue reading Microsoft Sees a Bid After Q1 Earnings Report

Microsoft Sees a Bid After Q1 Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Adobe Earnings: Market Not Pleased with Guidance

Adobe Earnings: Market Not Pleased with Guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oracle (ORCL), a software company whose colleagues include International Business Machines (IBM) and Microsoft (MSFT), issued its first-quarter earnings numbers Thursday after the bell. The market was quite pleased; during extended-hours trading, and at the time of writing, shares of the business were higher by 4.3% at $26.46.

That isn't far from the 52-week high of $26.63. The 52-week low for the stock is $20.10, so the range is very narrow. The one-year chart shows that the company has been on an uptrend as of late. Should you buy at this point?

Continue reading Oracle Posts a Fine Q1 -- Is Stock a Buy?

Oracle Posts a Fine Q1 -- Is Stock a Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm underwater on my Microsoft (MSFT) position. I made some initial purchases earlier in the year at higher prices. Yesterday, I decided to buy more to improve my cost basis. It still isn't that great; my average cost per share is over $29. But I may buy more, and I may sell some covered calls against the position to further improve the basis (assuming I can find appropriate premiums).

Why did I buy more of the software behemoth? Was it because of the new blockbuster Xbox 360 game Halo: Reach? Not a chance. Even though the title will sell a ton of copies, it doesn't constitute a trade-worthy catalyst. It just won't have enough of a financial effect.

Continue reading Was Buying Microsoft the Right Move?

Was Buying Microsoft the Right Move? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The software behemoth Microsoft (MSFT) released its stellar fourth-quarter results Thursday after the bell. The stock was flat on the news, a fact that does not bode well for my particular situation as I own the stock. I was looking for the company to be something of a short-term trade when I purchased it back in April at about $30.

Didn't work out, but I don't necessarily mind being stuck with the stock for now. I'm counting on it to bounce back at some point. The valuation appears fine to me, and the shares are still comfortably above the 52-week low of $22.73.

Continue reading Microsoft: Is Stock a Buy After Strong Earnings?

Microsoft: Is Stock a Buy After Strong Earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oracle Gets a Bid on Fourth-Quarter Report

Oracle Gets a Bid on Fourth-Quarter Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Running a consulting business can be a juggling act. It's not easy to manage a variety of accounts while also continuing to look for new business. And, in light of the tough economy, clients are looking for ways to cut back on services.

What to do? Well, you can try to find new revenue sources. And one interesting option is to sell software products.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Boost Your Consulting Business by Selling Software

Entrepreneur's Journal: Boost Your Consulting Business by Selling Software originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Salesforce.com: Time to Take Some Profits off the Table?

Salesforce.com: Time to Take Some Profits off the Table? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CA Inc. (CA), a software company that provides IT solutions, has traded in a narrow range over the past twelve months. The 52-week low is $16.12; the 52-week high is $24.15. On Friday, the stock closed down $1.37, or over 6%, to $20.51. Volume was way, way above normal. What's going on?

As you may have guessed, you can blame an earnings report for the sell-off. Adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share was two pennies below analyst expectations. Also, Bloomberg BusinessWeek states that guidance for next fiscal year's top line was slightly below estimates, and that the chief operating officer was leaving the business.

Continue reading Not Interested in CA After Q4 Report

Not Interested in CA After Q4 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 May 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Symantec Gets a Little More Secure

Symantec Gets a Little More Secure originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 May 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft (MSFT) reported third-quarter earnings Thursday after the bell, but the stock did not rally. In fact, shares of the software behemoth fell 2.77% or 87 cents in after-hours trading, after dropping even lower several times. Does this mean the business isn't a viable idea right now?

Actually, I'm feeling kind of bullish on the company. I'm writing this ahead of Friday's opening, so I don't know if the pessimism is going to carry over into the new session, but I'll say this: If the stock is still down nearly a buck, I might be tempted to start a position. And before the weekend, too!

Continue reading Microsoft: Is the Stock a Sell After Earnings?

Microsoft: Is the Stock a Sell After Earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I want to own Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) again. But I haven't gotten the kind of dip I've been looking for. One could argue I should therefore ignore looking for dips and simply buy the stock and dollar-cost-average the position.

I can't argue with such logic, but I had my heart set on a quick trade. Now that we're on the verge of the next earnings report from the software company, I'm particularly thinking about taking on some shares. In fact, I'm so eager to send in a buy order right now. What's stopping me?

Continue reading Should You Buy Microsoft Just Before Earnings Are Announced?

Should You Buy Microsoft Just Before Earnings Are Announced? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Business Machines (IBM), whose colleagues include Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Microsoft (MSFT), did not disappoint with its first-quarter report, posted yesterday after the market close. However, Wall Street seemed disappointed. I'm not sure why; perhaps it's just a case of profit-taking.

In any case, the after-hours selling I saw on Monday wasn't too bad. At one point, shares were off by 2.8% -- not the worst post-earnings reaction I've ever seen. And I can tell you this: it doesn't dissuade me from feeling bullish on Big Blue.

Continue reading IBM: Should This Stock Be in Your Portfolio?

IBM: Should This Stock Be in Your Portfolio? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.