Oracle acquiring Stellent

Oracle has acquired corporate software company Stellnet for $440 million. Stellent has 575 employees, and is a leader in content management. Oracle and Stellent have had a long business partnership, and most of Stellent's software uses Oracle databases, said Eric Martinuzzi, an analyst with Craig-Hallum Capital Group. Good news

News of the deal was successfully kept secret until after the market closed on Thursday, and Stellent's stock closed at $10.62 a share, down 56 cents, or 5 percent. In after-hours trading, the stock jumped $2.68 a share, or 25 percent, to $13.30.

When the acquisition closes in December or early January, it will result in a huge payday for Stellent founder and CEO Robert Olson and his wife.

In June, the couple owned 7.6 percent of the company, and they stand to collect more than $30 million with the sale.

Being acquired by Oracle will boost Stellent's marketing and its research and development, said Dan Ryan, chief operating officer.

"It's hard to imagine a better fit for Stellent's technology than Oracle," Ryan said. "There is minimal overlap between the two companies, and there is a growth opportunity for Stellent with Oracle's resources and support." For example, Stellent's annual research and development budget is $20 million to $25 million, while Oracle's is about $1.9 billion, he said.

Oracle is getting a business that has $62 million in cash and short-term securities in the bank, a figure that is worth about $2 per share.

Their relationship Oracle and Stellent have had a long business partnership, and most of Stellent's software uses Oracle databases, said Eric Martinuzzi, an analyst with Craig-Hallum Capital Group in Minneapolis. Acquiring Stellent will help Oracle sell more databases as well as expand the range of software it can sell in competition with corporate software giant IBM and the German firm SAP , he said. Stellent also reported that second-quarter earnings more than doubled to $1.3 million on a 12 percent revenue gain to $33.7 million.