Jefferies analyst John DiFucci said he thinks he understands the strategic rationale of Oracle's (ORCL) agreement to buy NetSuite (N), which gives it a clear path to mid-market expansion, but he believes the price agreed to be paid "seems steep." While not of concern if this deal is an anomaly, if it marks an inflection point to a new trend in Oracle's M&A approach, then DiFucci said he "questions the strategy." The analyst has a $51 price target and Buy rating on Oracle, which he notes has historically been disciplined in its consolidation activities in the software industry.

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Vertex (VERX) announced that it has been selected to join the Oracle Independent Software Vendor, ISV, Accelerator for SaaS Initiative. With expertise in Oracle (ORCL) Cloud Fusion Cloud Applications integrations, Vertex continues to leverage the power of contract and tax data to optimize customer operations and outcomes. "Building on our longstanding relationship with Oracle, we are thrilled to join the Oracle ISV Accelerator," said Bradd Wildstein, Vice President, Indirect Sales at Vertex, Inc. "Through this partnership, Vertex can now enhance our customers' finance and sales processes by integrating essential tax solutions into Oracle Fusion Applications. It's more than just data integration - it's about unifying disparate functions, streamlining operations, and amplifying benefits for our mutual customers."

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison said the company is moving its world headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee, Ashley Capoot of CNBC reports. Ellison said Oracle is moving to a "huge campus" and it is closer to "the center of the industry we're most concerned about, which is the health-care industry." Reference Link