NEW YORK, April 14, 2026, 08:17 EDT
Oracle surged 12.7% Monday, finishing at $155.62 and topping the S&P 500 leaderboard as software stocks clawed back ground. The index itself tacked on 1%, while the Nasdaq added 1.2%.
The rebound is getting attention, given that software stocks have struggled as one of Wall Street’s more disappointing AI plays in 2026. With first-quarter earnings season kicking off, investors are pushing to see if the selloff overshot, especially since the S&P 500 software and services index has tumbled 23.5% this year—trailing the broader benchmark by almost 24 percentage points across the past three months.
Oracle finds itself squarely in the thick of the debate. Shares have dropped 20.2% so far this year, but just last month, executives pointed to the AI data-center surge as a driver that should push revenues higher through at least 2027. A spike in remaining performance obligations—future contracted revenue—took that figure up 325% to $553 billion, and the company also lifted its fiscal 2027 sales outlook to $90 billion.
Monday brought fresh Oracle product updates out of the Customer Edge Summit in Austin. The company rolled out new Aconex features targeting project document reviews plus inspection and test workflows. Mark Webster, senior vice president and general manager for Oracle Infrastructure Industries, said the additions aim to boost “traceability and control” on major construction and engineering projects. Oracle
The event doubled as a showcase for Oracle’s Opower utilities software, which the company says now reaches almost 45 million households across North America. According to Oracle, residential customers saved $369 million on their bills in 2025, as utilities turned to AI tools to cut expenses and stabilize the grid amid rising demand.
Gains swept across the sector, though unevenly. Microsoft jumped 3.6%, Salesforce rallied 4.8%, while ServiceNow surged 7.3%. D.A. Davidson’s Gil Luria told MarketWatch that buyers were coming back in force after last week’s “severe” rout, with cloud-software stocks like Oracle leading the way—these names had borne the brunt of AI-driven worries. MarketWatch
Oracle drew attention after hours, as Bloom Energy announced plans to deliver up to 2.8 gigawatts of fuel-cell power for Oracle’s U.S. AI and cloud operations—1.2 gigawatts of that figure is already locked in. Fuel cells generate power via chemical reactions, not burning fuel. “Across the United States,” Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s Mahesh Thiagarajan said, the new capacity is helping meet rising customer demand. Reuters
Still, Monday’s surge leaves Oracle’s main risk unresolved. For months, investors have questioned whether the company’s hefty AI infrastructure bets will translate into returns fast enough. Back in February, Oracle projected it would bring in $45 billion to $50 billion in 2026 by tapping both stock and debt markets. Jefferies noted at the time that the fundraising plan might continue to pressure near-term margins.
Oracle finds itself in a tough position—caught up in the AI disruption that’s rattling the software sector, but still pushing cloud infrastructure, data management, and specialized software that remain essential for plenty of clients. Back in March, Valoir CEO Rebecca Wettemann pointed out that Oracle’s cross-cloud database strategy gives customers “choice.” And just this day, BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky said the sharp move up created a more defined floor for the software ETF, at least for now. Reuters
