New York, Feb 9, 2026, 11:11 AM EST — Regular session running.
- Oracle shares bounce higher in morning trading, recovering after a sharp selloff hit software names.
- Wall Street’s split is widening over whether exposure to OpenAI is a boost or a liability.
- Tech stocks and rate wagers could shift this week, depending on how jobs and inflation data land.
Oracle Corp shares jumped roughly 10% to $157.05 during Monday morning’s session. The stock had earlier swung between $142.09 and $157.67.
Investors are on the hunt for a floor in software shares, still reeling after last week’s rout stirred up fresh anxiety about AI’s threat to established business models. Oracle fared the worst among major U.S. software players, slumping close to 50% from Oct. 29 through Feb. 5, according to Reuters. 1
Timing is in focus as tech stocks behave as proxies for rate bets once more. According to the Labor Department’s calendar, the U.S. jobs data lands Wednesday, with the CPI inflation figures set for Friday. Traders are zeroed in on both, scanning for anything that could upend interest-rate expectations. 2
DA Davidson bumped Oracle up to Buy from Neutral, leaving its $180 price target untouched — that’s their 12-month outlook for the shares — and pointed to fading OpenAI-linked concerns. Analyst Gil Luria called the stock “overshot to the downside” and described Oracle Cloud Infrastructure as “pure upside,” though he also flagged the company’s ongoing debt and lease obligations as a persistent headwind. 3
Melius Research cut Oracle to Hold from Buy, sticking with a $160 target. Analyst Ben Reitzes said Oracle “doesn’t generate cash” and warned there’s “no guarantee” OpenAI keeps its edge over Anthropic, Google, or others. He noted debt and stock issuance could eat into value for some time. 4
The ratings fight is unfolding just as Oracle moves to bankroll an ambitious AI expansion. Earlier this month, Oracle outlined plans to pull in between $45 billion and $50 billion across calendar 2026 by tapping both equity and debt markets. That includes as much as $20 billion from at-the-market share sales—a method that allows companies to drip stock into the market—and the balance coming from a bond offering expected early in 2026, according to Reuters. 5
Oracle’s been under the microscope in both the credit market and the courts. According to Reuters, bondholders took the company to court back in January, alleging Oracle didn’t reveal plans to issue a large amount of new debt—needed, they say, to fund AI infrastructure linked to its five-year deal to provide OpenAI with computing power. 6
There’s a real chance today’s rally fizzles out again. Should AI infrastructure investments drag out their returns, or if new share offerings start weighing on existing holders, Oracle could quickly find itself looking pricey.
Eyes are shifting to Wednesday’s jobs numbers and Friday’s CPI, the next set of macro signals on deck. Oracle, meanwhile, is in focus for upcoming earnings and a closer look at spending trends and cash generation. The company expects to announce its fiscal third-quarter results in mid-March. 7
