Oracle stock slips as Jefferies sticks to $400 target; what investors watch next

Oracle stock slips as Jefferies sticks to $400 target; what investors watch next

New York, January 6, 2026, 10:48 EST — Regular session

Oracle shares dipped 0.1% to $192.33 on Tuesday as Jefferies reiterated a “buy” rating and kept a $400 price target, even as broader U.S. equities and the tech sector traded higher. The S&P 500 ETF SPY rose 0.3%, while the tech-heavy QQQ and technology sector ETF XLK added about 0.6% and 1.0%, respectively. Investing.com

The call lands after a bruising stretch for Oracle, which has become a proxy for investor anxiety over the cost of building artificial intelligence data-center capacity. In December, Oracle forecast third-quarter sales and profit below Street expectations and said fiscal 2026 capital spending — money earmarked for items such as data centers — would rise by $15 billion versus earlier estimates, while executives sketched out alternative financing approaches on the earnings call.

Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said Oracle remained a top pick despite investor debate over how fast the company can scale infrastructure and turn demand into booked revenue. “Oracle is a top pick despite ongoing debate around its growing AI-related debt,” Thill wrote in a client note referenced by Investors.com. Investors.com

The stock is well off its 52-week high of $345.72, with a 52-week range of $118.86 to $345.72, underscoring how sharply sentiment has swung since last year’s AI-fueled rally. Oracle’s market value was about $562 billion, according to the company’s investor relations site.

Oracle’s valuation remains a flashpoint as investors weigh growth versus spending. In a December Reuters report, Oracle traded at a forward price-to-earnings ratio — a common valuation gauge based on expected earnings — of 29.56, compared with Microsoft at 27.24 and Amazon at 29.06, based on LSEG data.

Still, the downside case has not gone away: a key funding backer walked away from talks on a major Michigan data-center project tied to OpenAI, Reuters reported in December, highlighting how financing terms and capital intensity can shape Oracle’s AI buildout.

Near-term, income-focused holders also have a calendar item: Oracle has a $0.50-per-share quarterly dividend payable on January 23 to shareholders of record on January 9, a filing showed.

The next major test is Oracle’s next earnings update, with the company saying its fiscal third-quarter 2026 results will be announced in mid-March.

Khadija Saeed

Khadija Saeed is a financial markets reporter at TS2.tech. Her coverage ranges from stocks and technology to emerging industries and developments across global markets. She studied economics and finance at the London School of Economics and worked in market research before becoming a financial journalist. Follow Khadija Saeed on Google News.

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