New York, Jan 31, 2026, 10:46 (EST) — Market closed.
- Oracle fell 2.6% on Friday, with after-hours trading showing minimal movement.
- A U.S. government contract listing revealed an $88.1 million Air Force Cloud One task order awarded to Oracle America.
- Traders are eyeing Friday’s U.S. jobs report and Oracle’s upcoming earnings window in mid-March as their next key markers.
Oracle shares (ORCL) slipped 2.6% on Friday, closing at $164.58, then dipped further in after-hours trading to $164.03. (StockAnalysis)
With U.S. markets closed for the weekend, Monday’s focus is on whether Oracle’s new contract and two product launches can hold sway amid pressure from a rate-driven tech selloff. The Nasdaq dropped 0.94% on Friday as investors digested President Donald Trump’s Fed chair choice and hotter inflation data. “Markets are calibrating to Trump’s pick of Kevin Warsh … and the outlook for monetary policy,” said Michael Hans, chief investment officer at Citizens Wealth. (Reuters)
Oracle has been pushing hard to prove consistent demand for its cloud offerings in regulated sectors and big companies. Investors often assess this narrative on a weekly basis, deal by deal, and can quickly punish tech stocks if yields rise.
A recent contract listing from the U.S. Department of War revealed Oracle America Inc. secured an $88,112,197 firm-fixed-price task order for the U.S. Air Force’s Cloud One initiative. The contract is slated to last through Dec. 7, 2028. This firm-fixed-price arrangement locks in the cost upfront, and as a “sole source” award, it indicates the government bypassed a competitive bidding process. (U.S. Department of War)
Oracle announced that IHG Hotels & Resorts has selected its Oracle OPERA Cloud as the property management system for IHG properties in the Americas and EMEAA regions. This software handles key hotel operations like check-in, room inventory, and billing. “We are proud to deepen our longstanding collaboration with IHG,” said Alex Alt, Oracle executive vice president and general manager for commercial cloud applications. (Oracle)
Oracle unveiled an “AI Data Platform” aimed at life sciences clients, designed to merge internal and external data sources with over 129 million de-identified longitudinal health records. The platform uses AI “agents”—software that performs tasks based on user-defined rules—to highlight evidence within workflows. “Fragmented, inconsistent data is a major barrier to progress,” said Seema Verma, Oracle Health and Life Sciences executive vice president and general manager. (Oracle)
Late Friday, another issue emerged: Mobility Workx LLC filed a lawsuit against Oracle, alleging that Oracle’s 4G and 5G wireless products infringe on three patents, Bloomberg Law reported. The complaint was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. (Bloomberg Law)
The competitive landscape is packed. Oracle goes head-to-head with Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Alphabet in cloud infrastructure and enterprise software, targeting major corporate and government contracts. But winning deals doesn’t guarantee immediate revenue gains.
But risks remain. Government task orders tend to be uneven and relatively small compared to Oracle’s size, while “sole source” contracts often attract regulatory attention. On top of that, the usual tech-sector headwinds—rising yields and tighter financial conditions—can weigh on the stock, even during weeks packed with major news.
Investors are turning their attention to Friday’s U.S. Employment Situation report, due out at 8:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 6. This report often influences interest-rate forecasts and typically moves high-multiple tech stocks first. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Oracle’s next major event is its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, set for mid-March 2026, according to the company’s investor-relations FAQ. (Oracle)
