Oracle (ORCL) stock was in the spotlight on April 24 after Wedbush Securities initiated the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure firm with an “Outperform” rating. According to senior analyst Dan Ives, the company is strongly positioned to hit $225 over the next 12 months, indicating potential upside of 30% from here.
The bullish call brings much-needed reprieve to Oracle stock that has otherwise been a laggard in 2026, currently down nearly 15% versus its year-to-date high.
Why Is Wedbush Securities Bullish on Oracle Stock?
Ives believes the market is “fundamentally misinterpreting” Oracle’s massive capital expenditures as a gamble instead of a strategic necessity.
According to Ives, the company is successfully transitioning from a legacy software behemoth into a “foundational infrastructure provider” essential to the AI era. This shift is backed by enormous, multi-year contracts, most notably a landmark $300 billion deal with OpenAI set to commence in 2027.
Wedbush recommends investing in ORCL shares also because the company has integrated its cloud infrastructure with Nvidia’s (NVDA) full-stack computing, effectively positioning itself as the landlord for the world's most demanding artificial intelligence models.
Why Else Are ORCL Shares Worth Buying in 2026?
While skeptics point to negative free cash flow as a major red flag, Ives views this as a “backward-looking” metric that ignores the sheer scale of guaranteed future demand.
“The early innings of a significant repositioning” require heavy upfront investments, the analyst noted, adding that Oracle has already proactively fortified its balance sheet.
By raising $30 billion through investment-grade bonds and preferred stock, ORCL has secured the liquidity needed to fulfill its contractual obligations.
Ives is convinced that once these high-profile partnerships with Silicon Valley heavyweights begin to show on the top line, the current dip in Oracle shares will be viewed as a massive buying opportunity.
Wall Street Remains Bullish on Oracle
Interestingly, Wedbush is actually among the more conservative Wall Street firms on ORCL stock.
According to Barchart, the consensus rating on Oracle Corp sits at a “Strong Buy” currently, with the mean price target of a much higher $253, indicating potential upside of more than 40% from here.
This article was created with the support of automated content tools from our partners at Sigma.AI. Together, our financial data and AI solutions help us to deliver more informed market headline analysis to readers faster than ever.
On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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