AI Stocks Face Challenges Amid Disillusionment
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 22 2026
0mins
Should l Buy ORCL?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Market Reaction: The overall market has struggled in recent weeks, particularly AI stocks like Microsoft, which has seen a more than 20% drop from last year's peak, indicating investor concerns about the costs and value of AI.
- Investor Sentiment: According to Gartner's technology market research, AI is currently in the 'trough of disillusionment,' where the anticipated returns on investment have not materialized, leading to challenges for many related companies.
- Oracle's Outlook: Oracle expects its AI infrastructure revenue to surge from $18 billion in 2023 to $144 billion by 2030, nearly tripling its total revenue from the last fiscal year, highlighting its potential in the AI market transition.
- Alphabet's Opportunity: While Alphabet's cloud computing segment accounted for only 15% of last year's revenue, its AI business is rapidly growing, particularly among enterprise customers, suggesting a strong position in the upcoming 'slope of enlightenment.'
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy ORCL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on ORCL
Wall Street analysts forecast ORCL stock price to rise
34 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
9 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 145.230
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
Current: 145.230
Low
180.00
Averages
309.59
High
400.00
About ORCL
Oracle Corporation offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. The Company operates through three businesses: cloud and license, hardware and service. Its cloud and license business is engaged in the sale, marketing and delivery of its enterprise applications and infrastructure technologies through cloud and on-premise deployment models including its cloud services and license support offerings, and its cloud license and on-premise license offerings. Its hardware business provides infrastructure technologies including Oracle Engineered Systems, servers, storage, industry-specific hardware, operating systems, virtualization, management and other hardware-related software to support diverse IT environments. Its services business provides services to customers and partners to help maximize the performance of their investments in Oracle applications and infrastructure technologies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Oracle Corp. Cash Flow Tension Analysis
- Cash Flow Dilemma: Oracle Corp. generated $22 billion in operating cash flow last fiscal year but reported nearly zero free cash flow, indicating excessive capital expenditures that raise investor concerns about future profitability.
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: The company's infrastructure spending skyrocketed from $6.9 billion to $21.2 billion, resulting in a negative free cash flow of $394 million, highlighting financial pressures during its expansion that could impact future shareholder returns.
- Contract Revenue Surge: Oracle's remaining performance obligations reached $523 billion, a staggering 438% year-over-year increase, indicating strong market demand in the cloud infrastructure sector, yet the ability to convert this into cash flow remains uncertain.
- Market Valuation Fluctuations: Oracle's stock price plummeted from $326 to $145, with its price-to-earnings ratio dropping from 40x to 21.7x, reflecting a market reassessment of its future growth potential and sparking discussions on whether it is undervalued.
See More
Defense Tech Investment Soars Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Funding Surge: The defense tech sector's funding skyrocketed from $869 million in 2020 to $11.2 billion by 2025, reflecting a more than tenfold increase driven by rising global geopolitical tensions, particularly amid the Iran war.
- Rising Demand: Since the U.S. and Israel's initial strikes on Iran at the end of February, defense tech startups have reported a significant uptick in demand from Department of Defense customers, with many offering to buy out capacity or requesting increased production to meet escalating military needs.
- Workforce Expansion: In response to the Iran war, European-headquartered defense startups are set to increase their workforce in the Middle East, with Estonian drone and missile interceptor startup Frankenburg and Ukrainian-UK Uforce both announcing plans to ramp up hiring in the region.
- Challenges and Opportunities: Despite the surge in demand, the U.S. government has not provided a steady flow of contracts, leaving firms divided over whether to scale up capacity at the risk of profitability or hold back, while European startups face tough decisions on resource allocation between Middle Eastern opportunities and their home markets.
See More
U.S. Stocks Rise on Strong Jobs Report Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Strong Jobs Report: The U.S. March jobs report exceeded expectations, propelling the Nasdaq Composite up 4.4%, the S&P 500 by 3.3%, and the Dow Jones by 2.9%, indicating renewed investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Oracle Layoff Plan: Oracle plans to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs, potentially generating $8 billion to $10 billion in free cash flow, although restructuring costs may reach $2.1 billion, primarily for severance, reflecting a strategic shift in its cloud market positioning.
- Tesla Delivery Figures: Tesla delivered 358,023 vehicles in Q1, falling short of the 365,000 estimate but marking a 6.2% year-over-year increase, demonstrating strong demand despite challenges from the expiration of EV tax credits.
- Nike Earnings Warning: Nike forecasted a 2% to 4% decline in Q4 sales, missing the consensus estimate of a 1.9% increase, with a significant 20% revenue drop expected in Greater China, highlighting competitive pressures and consumer weakness.
See More
UAE Intercepted Missile Debris Falls on Oracle Building
- Missile Debris Incident: The UAE confirmed on Saturday that debris from an intercepted missile fell on the Oracle building in Dubai, highlighting the impact of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict on Western tech firms, although no injuries were reported.
- Escalating Iranian Threats: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps recently threatened to target multiple U.S. tech companies operating in the Middle East, including Oracle, indicating a significant escalation in regional tensions.
- Corporate Security Risks: This incident raises security risks for tech companies like Oracle, potentially affecting their operational and investment decisions in the Middle East amid the current geopolitical instability.
- Historical Context: Earlier in March, Iranian drone strikes had already damaged Amazon Web Services (AMZN) data centers in the UAE, causing outages in apps and digital services, underscoring the ongoing security threats.
See More
Oracle's Dubai Office Damaged Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East
- Incident Overview: Oracle's office in Dubai was damaged by debris from an aerial interception, although no injuries were reported, highlighting the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
- Escalating Security Threats: Iran's Revolutionary Guard has designated 18 tech companies, including Oracle, as 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes, indicating the increasing significance of tech assets in conflicts.
- Industry Impact: James Henderson, CEO of risk management firm Healix, noted that the threats against tech companies are part of a sustained pattern, suggesting that future crises may target data centers and cloud platforms as much as traditional strategic sites.
- Historical Context: In March, Iran attacked Amazon Web Services data centers, causing outages in several apps and digital services in the UAE, underscoring the serious cybersecurity landscape in the region.
See More
Iran Threatens Attacks on U.S. Tech Firms Including Oracle
- Incident Overview: Oracle's building in Dubai sustained minor damage from debris due to an aerial interception, with no injuries reported; however, this incident highlights escalating tensions in the Middle East that could impact Oracle's operational safety in the region.
- Threats to Tech Companies: Iran's Revolutionary Guard has designated 18 U.S. tech firms, including Oracle, as 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes, which raises the operational risks for these companies in the Middle East.
- Rising Cybersecurity Risks: As threats against tech companies escalate, risk management expert James Henderson notes that tech assets are now viewed as integral to the conflict, suggesting future attacks may target data centers and cloud platforms, increasing security vulnerabilities in the industry.
- Historical Context: Iran previously attacked Amazon Web Services data centers in early March, causing outages in various apps and digital services in the UAE, and a repeat of such incidents could severely impact Oracle and other tech firms' operations.
See More
Oracle Corp. Cash Flow Tension Analysis
- Cash Flow Dilemma: Oracle Corp. generated $22 billion in operating cash flow last fiscal year but reported nearly zero free cash flow, indicating excessive capital expenditures that raise investor concerns about future profitability.
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: The company's infrastructure spending skyrocketed from $6.9 billion to $21.2 billion, resulting in a negative free cash flow of $394 million, highlighting financial pressures during its expansion that could impact future shareholder returns.
- Contract Revenue Surge: Oracle's remaining performance obligations reached $523 billion, a staggering 438% year-over-year increase, indicating strong market demand in the cloud infrastructure sector, yet the ability to convert this into cash flow remains uncertain.
- Market Valuation Fluctuations: Oracle's stock price plummeted from $326 to $145, with its price-to-earnings ratio dropping from 40x to 21.7x, reflecting a market reassessment of its future growth potential and sparking discussions on whether it is undervalued.
See More
Defense Tech Investment Soars Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Funding Surge: The defense tech sector's funding skyrocketed from $869 million in 2020 to $11.2 billion by 2025, reflecting a more than tenfold increase driven by rising global geopolitical tensions, particularly amid the Iran war.
- Rising Demand: Since the U.S. and Israel's initial strikes on Iran at the end of February, defense tech startups have reported a significant uptick in demand from Department of Defense customers, with many offering to buy out capacity or requesting increased production to meet escalating military needs.
- Workforce Expansion: In response to the Iran war, European-headquartered defense startups are set to increase their workforce in the Middle East, with Estonian drone and missile interceptor startup Frankenburg and Ukrainian-UK Uforce both announcing plans to ramp up hiring in the region.
- Challenges and Opportunities: Despite the surge in demand, the U.S. government has not provided a steady flow of contracts, leaving firms divided over whether to scale up capacity at the risk of profitability or hold back, while European startups face tough decisions on resource allocation between Middle Eastern opportunities and their home markets.
See More
U.S. Stocks Rise on Strong Jobs Report Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- Strong Jobs Report: The U.S. March jobs report exceeded expectations, propelling the Nasdaq Composite up 4.4%, the S&P 500 by 3.3%, and the Dow Jones by 2.9%, indicating renewed investor confidence in economic recovery.
- Oracle Layoff Plan: Oracle plans to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs, potentially generating $8 billion to $10 billion in free cash flow, although restructuring costs may reach $2.1 billion, primarily for severance, reflecting a strategic shift in its cloud market positioning.
- Tesla Delivery Figures: Tesla delivered 358,023 vehicles in Q1, falling short of the 365,000 estimate but marking a 6.2% year-over-year increase, demonstrating strong demand despite challenges from the expiration of EV tax credits.
- Nike Earnings Warning: Nike forecasted a 2% to 4% decline in Q4 sales, missing the consensus estimate of a 1.9% increase, with a significant 20% revenue drop expected in Greater China, highlighting competitive pressures and consumer weakness.
See More
UAE Intercepted Missile Debris Falls on Oracle Building
- Missile Debris Incident: The UAE confirmed on Saturday that debris from an intercepted missile fell on the Oracle building in Dubai, highlighting the impact of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict on Western tech firms, although no injuries were reported.
- Escalating Iranian Threats: The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps recently threatened to target multiple U.S. tech companies operating in the Middle East, including Oracle, indicating a significant escalation in regional tensions.
- Corporate Security Risks: This incident raises security risks for tech companies like Oracle, potentially affecting their operational and investment decisions in the Middle East amid the current geopolitical instability.
- Historical Context: Earlier in March, Iranian drone strikes had already damaged Amazon Web Services (AMZN) data centers in the UAE, causing outages in apps and digital services, underscoring the ongoing security threats.
See More
Oracle's Dubai Office Damaged Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East
- Incident Overview: Oracle's office in Dubai was damaged by debris from an aerial interception, although no injuries were reported, highlighting the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
- Escalating Security Threats: Iran's Revolutionary Guard has designated 18 tech companies, including Oracle, as 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes, indicating the increasing significance of tech assets in conflicts.
- Industry Impact: James Henderson, CEO of risk management firm Healix, noted that the threats against tech companies are part of a sustained pattern, suggesting that future crises may target data centers and cloud platforms as much as traditional strategic sites.
- Historical Context: In March, Iran attacked Amazon Web Services data centers, causing outages in several apps and digital services in the UAE, underscoring the serious cybersecurity landscape in the region.
See More
Iran Threatens Attacks on U.S. Tech Firms Including Oracle
- Incident Overview: Oracle's building in Dubai sustained minor damage from debris due to an aerial interception, with no injuries reported; however, this incident highlights escalating tensions in the Middle East that could impact Oracle's operational safety in the region.
- Threats to Tech Companies: Iran's Revolutionary Guard has designated 18 U.S. tech firms, including Oracle, as 'legitimate targets' in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes, which raises the operational risks for these companies in the Middle East.
- Rising Cybersecurity Risks: As threats against tech companies escalate, risk management expert James Henderson notes that tech assets are now viewed as integral to the conflict, suggesting future attacks may target data centers and cloud platforms, increasing security vulnerabilities in the industry.
- Historical Context: Iran previously attacked Amazon Web Services data centers in early March, causing outages in various apps and digital services in the UAE, and a repeat of such incidents could severely impact Oracle and other tech firms' operations.
See More
