Oracle Corporation’s stock rebounded 1.20% to close at $147.89 on February 25, 2026, snapping a recent pullback as analysts highlighted the company’s undervaluation following a sharp sell-off, with Oppenheimer upgrading the shares to Outperform and setting a $185 price target amid ongoing optimism about Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s role in AI workloads.

As of February 25, 2026, Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) traded in a session range of $147.34 to $153.28 with volume of approximately 26.5 million shares. The shares have declined about 25% year-to-date in 2026 from earlier peaks near $200+, reflecting investor concerns over slowing cloud revenue growth, elevated capital expenditures, and debt levels tied to aggressive AI data center buildout. Market capitalization stands around $410-420 billion.

The February 25 gain followed Oppenheimer analyst Brian Schwartz’s upgrade from Perform to Outperform, citing an attractive valuation after the recent decline and viewing easing risks around OpenAI partnerships and continued hyperscaler cloud spending as long-term catalysts. Schwartz’s $185 target implies about 25% upside from recent levels. Other firms, including Bernstein SocGen Group, trimmed targets earlier in February but maintained Outperform ratings, underscoring mixed but generally constructive sentiment.

The upgrade arrives ahead of Oracle’s fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings, expected in early March 2026 (likely March 9-10). Analysts project EPS around $1.36-$1.56 and revenue near $16 billion, reflecting continued growth in cloud services despite earlier Q2 results that fell slightly short of expectations. In fiscal Q2 2026 (ended November 30, 2025), reported December 10, 2025, Oracle delivered total revenue of $16.1 billion, up 14% year-over-year (13% in constant currency), with cloud revenue (IaaS plus SaaS) surging 34% to $8.0 billion. Remaining performance obligations reached a record $523 billion, up 438% in USD, driven by long-term commitments from major clients including Meta Platforms and NVIDIA.

Oracle’s AI push has centered on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), positioned as a premier platform for high-performance computing and generative AI workloads. The company has aggressively expanded data center capacity, with projected fiscal 2026 capital expenditures soaring to $50 billion—a $15 billion increase from September 2025 guidance. Partnerships with NVIDIA and others underscore OCI’s growing traction in AI training and inference, though some observers note risks from heavy spending, negative free cash flow exceeding $10 billion in recent periods, and off-balance-sheet lease obligations approaching $248 billion.

Despite near-term pressures, analysts view Oracle’s trajectory positively. The company’s enterprise software dominance, combined with cloud acceleration and AI tailwinds, supports projections for fiscal 2026 revenue growth in the mid-teens and continued margin expansion. Consensus among covering firms leans toward Buy, with average 12-month price targets around $180-$200, implying substantial upside from current levels.

Oracle’s strategic focus includes embedding AI across products, with leadership emphasizing agility in response to rapid AI technology changes. Recent contracts, such as an $88 million OCI deal with the U.S. Department of the Air Force, reinforce its positioning in secure, mission-critical workloads. The company also benefits from its database and applications heritage, providing a stable foundation amid the shift to cloud and AI services.

Challenges persist, including competitive intensity from AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as concerns over capital intensity and debt management. Some reports highlight potential margin erosion if revenue growth slows relative to spending, though Oracle’s RPO backlog offers strong visibility into future revenue.

The upcoming Q3 report will provide critical insights into cloud revenue trends, AI adoption, capex execution, and any refinements to full-year guidance. Positive commentary on OCI momentum and AI pipeline could sustain the rebound; signs of prolonged spending pressures might renew caution.

Oracle Corporation, a leader in enterprise software and cloud services, navigates a pivotal phase with its AI and cloud investments positioning it for long-term growth. Recent sell-off concerns appear to have created an entry point for some analysts, who see the stock as undervalued relative to its potential in the AI infrastructure boom. As fiscal 2026 progresses, Oracle’s ability to convert massive backlog and spending into profitable expansion will determine whether the current rebound marks a turning point or a temporary pause.

Apple announced a new age verification tool in the U.S. and abroad to ensure users wishing to download certain apps are at least 18 years old to comply with laws enacted by some U.S. states and foreign countries.

The tool is rolling out in Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia and Singapore, all of which have laws requiring age restrictions for users of apps rated 18+.

App developers in these regions may now use Apple’s updated Declared Age Range Application Programming Interface (API), which is currently in beta testing, to determine a user’s age range, the company announced on Tuesday.

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Apple’s new age verification tool is rolling out in Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia and Singapore to block underage users from accessing apps that are rated 18 and up. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images / Getty Images)

In Utah and Louisiana, app developers can request users’ age categories on the API. The tools expand on previous efforts aimed at helping developers meet compliance obligations for the two U.S. states.

“New signals are now available through the Declared Age Range API, including whether age-related regulatory requirements apply to the user and if the user is required to share their age range,” Apple’s announcement reads. “The API will also let you know if you need to get a parent or guardian’s permission for significant app updates for a child.”

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Apple’s new age-restriction feature will be rolled out in two U.S. states – Utah and Louisiana. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Developers can use the Declared Age Range API to present significant update notifications to adults in these states through the Significant Update Action, now in beta,” the tech company said. “When releasing a significant update, developers must follow the Human Interface Guidelines and provide users with a meaningful description of the update.”

In Brazil, Australia and Singapore, users will be blocked from downloading apps rated 18 and up unless they are confirmed to be old enough through “reasonable methods.”

“The App Store will perform this confirmation automatically,” Apple said in its announcement. “However, developers may have separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults. To assist with this, the Declared Age Range API—available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS—provides developers with a helpful signal about a user’s age.”

Apple’s age-restriction feature in the App Store will apply to all of Singapore, Brazil and Australia. (Faris Hadziq/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Age categories for users in Brazil will be shared with app developers when the user or a parent or guardian agrees to send the age category. The API will also return a signal from the user’s device about the method of age verification.

“For developers distributing their apps in Brazil, if you identify your app as containing loot boxes through the age rating questionnaire, the age rating of your app on the Brazil storefront will be updated to 18+,” Apple said.

US trading partners, including China and the EU, are responding to Trump’s recent tariff setbacks and warnings of potential new tariffs. They are likely adopting cautious or defensive strategies in light of these developments, reflecting concerns over economic stability and trade relations. The situation underscores ongoing tensions between the US and its trade partners over tariffs and trade policies.

The setback of Donald Trump’s tariffs marks a significant turning point in global trade dynamics. During his administration, tariffs were used as a tool to pressure China into changing trade practices, but these measures led to increased costs and tensions. The recent move to roll back or ease some tariffs suggests a shift toward more cooperative trade relations, which could benefit both China and the global economy.

For China, the reduced tariffs offer relief from some of the trade disruptions it faced under Trump’s trade wars. It may boost Chinese exports and investments, fostering more stability in its economic growth. Additionally, easing tariffs can foster improved diplomatic relations between the two countries, aiding in ongoing negotiations on trade and other economic issues.

Globally, the easing of tariffs could help restore confidence in international markets. It signals a potential shift away from protectionism towards more open trade policies. This development may encourage other nations to reconsider their trade barriers, promoting a more interconnected and resilient global economy in the long term.

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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the artificial intelligence boom is only just beginning and nowhere near its peak, predicting that AI is “going to be everywhere” as the industry enters a decade of growth.

Huang made the comments during an interview airing Thursday on FOX Business’ “The Claman Countdown” with host Liz Claman.

“AI is just going to be everywhere. So we have plenty of runway, lots and lots of growth ahead of us,” he said.

“It will take time, but we have lots of time,” he continued. “I think this is where, at the beginning of probably about a decade of buildout, people think that it looks like a lot of capacity being built. But in fact, it’s a very small amount of the total capacity the world needs. The amount of computation we need is far greater than the amount of capacity we’re putting online this year and next year.”

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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the artificial intelligence boom is only just beginning. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Huang also said that his company has guided to zero revenue from sales to China in the current quarter, but they are “hoping for more.”

Asked why that remains the case even after the Trump administration opened channels for certain chip sales to China, Huang said NVIDIA is still waiting on customers to decide how much to purchase.

“We’ve approved for some narrow licenses for some customers, and now the customers have to decide for themselves how much they’re allowed to buy,” Huang said.

He also said the concern that China is going to use American technology to advance its AI industry is “poorly placed.”

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“Obviously, they have their own technology,” he added. “I think the concerns about China relying on American technology to advance their AI industry are just poorly placed. AI includes energy. It includes the chip industry that we’re part of. It also includes, of course, models and applications. And it’s a fiber layer cake, if you will. Every single layer has an industry and all of those industries should go compete around the world to go secure AI leadership for the United States.”

He emphasized that he believes the decision to block the United States out of the China market “has surely proven to be the wrong decision.”

The NVIDIA executive went on to explain how jobs could be impacted by AI, predicting that it’s “sensible” to expect that “some jobs will be obsolete in the future, many new jobs will be created and most jobs will be changed.”

Though Huang noted that AI is creating jobs all over the U.S. through factories, data centers, chip plants and computer plants that need to be built to advance the technology.

“The number of trade skill labor jobs that we’re creating around the United States is really quite extraordinary,” he said. “I’m delighted to see it, and that’s a whole segment of our economy and a whole of our society that we really would love to have built back in the United Sates so that we could become a reindustrialized country again.”

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Addressing potential unemployment as a result of AI, he said, “one of the things that’s really helpful is to think about work, think about jobs, both as a task that’s involved in the job as well as the purpose of the job.”

Huang further spoke on the progression of AI, saying that while it is already “super intelligent” in “narrow spaces,” it is going to “change every single month.”

“This year is going to be a pretty big breakthrough for artificial general intelligence, and we’re seeing that now,” he said. “We’ve seen that floodgate for enterprise usage of AI really starting to grow. So this is a great time.”

The full interview with Jensen Huang airs Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.

St George’s Terrace traded suits for Lycra this week as Business News hosted the first-ever Corporate Cycling Challenge. 

This high-octane stationary relay supports the iconic Hawaiian Ride for Youth and the vital mental health services of Youth Focus. 

While the traditional ride covers 700km from Albany to Perth, this corporate version brought the grind to the CBD. 

80 business leaders took on 30-minute stints with a goal of 700km. 

By the final whistle, they had obliterated the target, recording 1,670.4km and raising $32,000.

The event marks a major scale-up for long-term supporters. 

Australian Transit Group chief commercial officer Simon Williams noted that Buswest has supported the ride since 2018. 

Chief executive Ben Doolan has personally ridden in the event for eleven years. 

“Our team has stayed pretty consistent over the years, with a core group of regular riders who really get what the event is about: camaraderie, teamwork, and backing Youth Focus in raising funds to install mental health counsellors at schools, predominantly across remote communities,” Mr Williams said. 

“Historically, our fundraising has been all about private get-togethers with family and friends, loading everyone onto buses for a day at the races and sharing a few laughs along the way. 

“This year, we decided to step it up and partner with our friends at Business News to do something bigger and reach more people. That’s how the Corporate Cycling Challenge was born: the goal is to cover 680km over the day on stationary bikes, the same distance as the Ride for Youth from Albany to Perth.”

The participant list featured a prominent mix of WA industry and governance. 

Riders included Tony and Frank Galati of Spudshed, CommBank’s Gary McGrath, Hugh Brown, Chris Wilson, Luke Whelan, and Harrison Deloub. 

Premier Roger Cook rode the final stretch and expressed his pride in the initiative. 

“Youth Focus plays a vital role in supporting youth mental health, and all fundraising at the Challenge provides boosts to young Western Australians,” he said. 

“I’m thrilled to have joined the participants of the Corporate Cycling Challenge and the Hawaiian Ride for Youth — there may be some sore legs afterwards, but every kilometre ridden drives awareness, connection and support.”

Since 1994, Youth Focus has been a leading mental health provider in Western Australia. 

The organisation exists because almost every week, a young person under the age of 25 dies by suicide. 

Their vision is a world where mental health does not stop a young person from being who they want to be. 

Business News Chief executive Charles Kobelke praised the collective effort of the riders. 

“I’m really proud to support this cycling fundraiser for Youth Focus and everyone taking part. It’s a great cause and I love seeing the business community really getting behind it,” he said.

The day’s success was underpinned by a vast network of sponsors, including Revo Fitness, Gage Roads, Business News, Fern Grove Wines, Frasers, Deanne Bailey, Mark Hector, Eastcourt Foundation, Ben Devenish, WA Limestone, Multiplex, Graham Nash, Halo Civil Engineering, Lavan, Friendlies Eye Care, Mandurah Raw Prawns Veterans Rugby Team, Vector Advisors, Entertainment Enterprises, Chris Wilson Fitness Studio, Pickaxe, Silverleaf, Humich Group, and Russell James. 

Reflecting on the day, Mr Williams looked toward the future impact. 

“With a full summer of training behind us, the riding won’t be the hard part for our team, but we’re hoping that by getting a mix of business leaders and friends on the bikes, we can introduce them to the work of Youth Focus and, dare I say, inspire them to make a contribution to this truly worthy cause.”

Firms on Golden Triangle Industrial Estate say they have just weeks to go but council says it will work with them

Companies on a Widnes industrial estate claim they have been left high and dry after being told to vacate the site in just a few weeks to make way for housing.

Firms on Golden Triangle Industrial Estate in Halebank say they recently received a solicitor’s letter on behalf of Halton Borough Council giving them until the end of March to pack up.

Some of the firms have been on the site since the early 80s and say they have no idea how they will relocate, stating that they have received no help or support to find new premises. Many fear they will simply have to close down altogether.

Martin Freeman, 55, and wife Shelley have owned Shelley’s Cafe for the last 12 years. He said: “When we first took it on it was a failing business. We fixed it up and worked for nothing to get it going. We know all the other owners and local people come here.”

Mr Freeman says he recently had to go to A&E with a high heart rate and, although awaiting test results, does not know if stress over the couple’s situation was to blame. He added: “We haven’t been offered any help or advice, just told to leave.”

Business on the estate say it is home to between ‘around 30 or 40’ companies encompassing everything from loft insulation to ice cream vans. They estimate collectively the firms all employ around 200 people.

Lorna McGowan has worked at MOT test centre RGN Ltd for 20 years, with her boss Rowland having been there for more than 40. She said: “It’s not just the businesses themselves it’s all the people they employ. I’ve got four years to retirement, where am I going to get another job now?”

Pete Maddison who runs PM Groundworks has been based on the estate for 20 years. He added: “We just want them (the council) to understand that you can’t just turf people out when it’s their livelihood.”

Many of the businesses have written to Widnes and Halewood MP Derek Twigg about the ongoing situation. In a response to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said he had contacted Halton Borough Council to ask that it review the situation as ‘a matter of urgency’.

He said: “If businesses are expected to relocate, clearly, they need to be afforded time to do this and so I hope that the council will work proactively with all those affected to allow them to plan ahead. I will continue to press the local authority to keep these businesses at the forefront of any decision making around this issue.”

A Halton Borough Council spokeswoman said the site had been set aside for housing in the borough’s local plan – a strategic long-term planning document – four years ago.

She said phase one of a new housing development, which started on site last year, would deliver 63 affordable and social houses by the end of the year. She added: “The acquisition by Halton Borough Council of the Golden Triangle was intended to maintain momentum and support delivery of the next phase of development.

“The original notices and timescales were issued based on external legal advice; however we understand the uncertainty this process can cause.”

She added: “Our intention has always been to work alongside the businesses to support relocation in a way that minimises disruption. We remain committed to being flexible, and we will work with the businesses to agree a timeframe as we move forward together.”

An outline application was put forward by Halton Borough Council and developer Cityheart late last year for 240 properties on the Golden Triangle Industrial Estate.

It forms phase two of a wider Foundry Lane ‘masterplan’ first unveiled back in 2022, with phase one getting underway in May this year – involving construction of 63 two and three-bed ‘affordable’ homes in partnership with social housing company Plus Dane, to be made available for shared ownership and rent.