Keybanc analyst Michael Turits downgraded Oracle Corp. from Overweight to Sector Weight.
Patrick Walravens from JMP Securities maintained a Hold on Oracle.
Stifel analyst Brad Reback reiterated a Hold and a price target of $87 on Oracle, implying a 5.1 percent downside.
The re-rating follows Oracle’s plans to acquire Cerner Corp. in an all-cash transaction of $95 per share.
Reback believes that Oracle can bring operational efficiency to the Cerner post-close.
However, he reminds investors that Cerner’s reported gross margin is overstated compared to software peers, as much of Cerner’s professional service business cost base is captured in the SG&A line.
Aside from the scale advantages and financial arbitrage, Oracle gains from this move.
He does not believe the deal enhances Oracle’s position in the Cloud or meaningfully accelerates the combined business’s growth.
Reback believes there could be a shift in the shareholder base in coming quarters that could limit further upside in the stock.
