ClearBridge Dividend Strategy’s Review of its Investment in Oracle (ORCL)

Core Insights - ClearBridge Investments released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter for the ClearBridge Dividend Strategy, which aims to generate high current income, income growth, and capital preservation by investing in high-quality large-cap companies with attractive dividends and significant dividend growth potential [1] Market Overview - The market experienced a high degree of concentration in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking the third consecutive year of an AI-driven market, with the market-cap-weighted S&P 500 Index returning 17.9% and the equal-weighted S&P 500 Index gaining only 11.4% for the year [1] - The ClearBridge Dividend Strategy benefited from exposure to AI participants, although it underperformed its S&P 500 Index benchmark during the fourth quarter [1] Company Focus: Oracle Corporation - Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) was highlighted in the investor letter, with a one-month return of -3.02% and a 52-week gain of 18.21%, closing at $192.84 per share on January 7, 2026, with a market capitalization of $554.054 billion [2] - The investment case for Oracle is evolving as leading AI companies reach multitrillion-dollar valuations, which may reflect lofty expectations and less favorable investment conditions [3] - ClearBridge significantly reduced its position in Oracle while maintaining its position in Broadcom, despite both stocks surging in 2025 [3]