New York, February 16, 2026, 17:22 EST — Market closed.
Oracle investors are facing an April 6 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status in a securities-fraud class action against the company, after a law firm circulated a notice late Sunday. Oracle shares last closed up 2.3% at $160.14 on Friday. (NewMediaWire)
U.S. equity markets were closed on Monday for Washington’s Birthday, pushing the next read on the stock to Tuesday. The break comes as shareholders weigh legal claims against a company already asking investors to buy into a costly cloud buildout. (New York Stock Exchange)
Oracle has told investors it needs more money to expand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, the business it is pitching as a key landing spot for heavy AI workloads. In a Feb. 1 statement, the company said it aims to raise $45 billion to $50 billion of gross cash proceeds in calendar 2026 and framed the move as needed “to build additional capacity to meet the contracted demand.” (Reuters)
The shareholder case, Barrows v. Oracle Corporation et al, was filed on Feb. 3 in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and names Oracle and several executives as defendants, including Chief Executive Safra Catz, Chairman Larry Ellison and finance chief Douglas Kehring, a docket showed. (Justia Dockets & Filings)
Oracle’s cloud story has become more tied to OpenAI after what Reuters has described as a $300 billion computing deal, a link that has sharpened scrutiny of funding and execution. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said “nervousness about the situation looks unlikely to go away any time soon.” (Reuters)
When trading returns on Tuesday, investors will be watching for any sign that Oracle is tapping equity markets faster than expected, and whether bond-market conditions stay supportive for the debt side of its plan. The lawsuit adds an extra headline risk, even if it does not change the near-term build schedule.
Oracle is also competing for capacity and customers against far larger cloud rivals such as Amazon.com and Microsoft, where the pressure to spend is high and the tolerance for cash burn can be thin.
But the funding plan carries dilution risk if Oracle sells stock into a weaker tape, and higher interest costs could creep in if rates rise ahead of new bond issuance. Litigation can also drag, lifting costs and distraction even before any courtroom test of the claims.
The next major catalyst is Oracle’s quarterly report, expected on March 9, which traders will use to gauge capital spending, cloud demand and how quickly today’s AI contracts turn into cash. (Zacks)
