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Larry Ellison cancels plan to sell Oracle stock worth up to $7.5 billion - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Larry Ellison cancels plan to sell Oracle stock worth up to $7.5 billion

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 13, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: September 13, 2026

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Larry Ellison Cancels $7.5 Billion Oracle Stock Sale, Shares React

Oracle Stock Sale Cancellation and Market Impact

Background on the Cancelled Stock Sale

Sept 12 (Reuters) - Oracle said on Saturday that its co-founder and executive chairman Larry Ellison had canceled a plan to sell up to 50 million Oracle shares, worth about $7.5 billion at Friday's closing price.

Oracle had disclosed in a regulatory filing Friday that Ellison had adopted the trading plan on June 22, 2026, and that it was scheduled to expire on October 24, 2026.

"No Oracle stock was sold under that plan, and he has no other plans to sell any of his Oracle stock," Oracle said on Saturday.

Oracle Stock Performance in 2024

Investor Concerns and Share Price Decline

Oracle's stock has taken a beating this year on growing investor concerns over soaring capital expenditure that has pressured its free cash flow.

The shares are down nearly 23% year to date and were more than 18% below their closing level on June 18, the last trading day before Ellison adopted the plan.

Company Response and Leadership

Oracle did not give a reason for the cancellation of Ellison's trading plan.

Ellison, 82, served as Oracle's CEO until 2014 and is the company's largest shareholder, owning over 38% of the company, according to LSEG data.

Recent Financial Results and Restructuring

Quarterly Results and Market Reaction

Earlier in the week, Oracle had reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street estimates and a smaller cash burn than expected, easing some concerns about its debt-fueled spending spree and leading to a jump in the shares on Friday.

Analyst Commentary and Cash Flow Outlook

However, its stock later reversed course as analysts said a recovery in cash flow remained some way off.

Restructuring and Cost Management

The firm also announced restructuring costs, part of a plan that includes job cuts, will rise by about $700 million.

(Reporting by Sumedha Mukherjee and Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Will Dunham, Chizu Nomiyama and Kim Coghill)

Key Takeaways

  • Larry Ellison canceled his plan to sell up to 50 million Oracle shares—worth about $7.5 billion at the time—with no shares sold and no new plans to sell any Oracle stock (news.bloomberglaw.com).
  • The decision follows heightened investor anxiety over Oracle’s aggressive AI infrastructure investment: fiscal 2026 capex surged to $55.7 billion, driving free cash flow to –$23.7 billion (qz.com).
  • Although recent earnings beat Wall Street expectations, concerns persist about cash burn and financing: Oracle plans roughly $40 billion in new debt and equity for fiscal 2027 to support continued AI build‑out (qz.com).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Larry Ellison cancel his Oracle stock sale plan?
Oracle did not provide a specific reason for Larry Ellison's cancellation of his plan to sell up to $7.5 billion in Oracle stock.
How much Oracle stock was Larry Ellison planning to sell?
Larry Ellison had planned to sell up to 50 million Oracle shares, worth about $7.5 billion at the time.
How has Oracle's stock performed in 2024?
Oracle's stock is down nearly 23% year-to-date and fell over 18% after Ellison's plan was adopted.
What caused investor concerns regarding Oracle?
Investors are worried about Oracle's soaring capital expenditure and its impact on free cash flow.
What recent financial news did Oracle announce?
Oracle reported quarterly results that topped Wall Street estimates and announced a rise in restructuring costs including job cuts.

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