Silicon Valley-based Oracle (ORCL) said Tuesday that it plans to build a 560,000-square-foot office “campus” east of downtown Austin, Texas, as the first phase of an expansion that it said will increase its employment in the area by 50% “over the next few years.” Oracle stock rose a fraction, to 36.59, in the stock market today. Oracle also said that it’s buying a 295-unit apartment building next to its campus site to house employees. The Austin
Companies that provide software and other technology services have been among the market’s best performers, buoyed by better-than-expected earnings reports and acquisitions. The Computer-Tech Services group was ranked 10th out of 197 industry groups as of Tuesday. It’s been in the top 10 for the past six weeks. Ten stocks in the 44-member group have Composite Ratings of 90 or higher, and a couple are expected to see earnings growth accelerate.
Robotic exoskeletons have been a fixture in science-fiction movies and futuristic military video games. But the devices have become a reality for medical and physical rehabilitation applications. They serve a niche market today but could soon be a big business as industrial and commercial applications are developed, ABI Research said Monday. In a report titled “Robotic Exoskeletons: Classes, Markets and Applications,” ABI predicts that sales could