Oracle Earnings Statement to Include Handy Sick Bag
by John Paczkowski
Posted on March 5, 2009 at 8:17 AM PT
In its second quarter, Oracle managed to hit Wall Street’s earnings targets despite the souring economy. Will it manage to do so again in its third?
That’s not clear. But by some accounts, the company’s third quarter is shaping up to be an ugly one–the company’s worst since the early ’90s. Said JMP Securities analyst Patrick Walravens, “Our due diligence suggests that the February quarter was, in some respects, the worst Oracle has experienced in over 15 years. The tone of the commentary from our industry sources regarding new license revenue is the worst we have ever heard.” And with that, Walravens cut his earnings estimate for Oracle’s fiscal year to $1.37 a share from $1.41 a share.
So companies aren’t clamoring to buy new database software in the worst economic crisis in 50 years. That’s not exactly a surprise. Nor is it surprising that Oracle’s business would suffer for it. That said, it may not be suffering as badly as Walravens claims. Certainly, there are other analysts who don’t quite share his grim view of the company’s prospects. Said Cowen Group analyst Peter Goldmacher, “Oracle is better positioned than its technology peers to weather the downturn given its broad technology solutions and its ability to manage margins.”
