Oracle To Buy Utilities Software Maker Lodestar

Oracle said Tuesday that it plans to acquire Lodestar, a privately held developer of business software for the utilities industry.

Oracle said it will combine Lodestar's offerings with utilities software products it acquired when it bought out SPL WorldGroup last November. The software will be sold through Oracle's Utilities Global Business unit.

Oracle said it expects the transaction to close this May. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Lodestar's employees will join Oracle's Utilities Global Business unit, Oracle said.

Lodestar's customers include Duke Energy and Kansas City Power & Light.

The acquisition represents the latest gulp in what has become an ongoing buying binge that began with Oracle's buyout of PeopleSoft in January 2005. Since then, Oracle has made 28 other acquisitions, including the Lodestar deal.

Investors shrugged at the news of Oracle's latest buy. The company's shares on the Nasdaq were trading relatively flat at $18.88 as of mid-day Tuesday.