Stocks Point to Oracle as Potential TikTok Owner Amid Negotiations

Stock market moves provided the clearest clue yet about who could own TikTok, as investors tracked negotiations between Washington and Beijing over the popular video app. On Friday, President Donald Trump hailed progress on a TikTok deal after a two-hour phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the talks had yielded progress on many very important issues, including the approval of the TikTok deal. The remarks coincided with a roughly 2% pop in Oracle's stock, fueling speculation that Oracle might be the buyer. Oracle's share move came as the markets priced in a likely outcome in which Oracle leads a sale. The month has also seen Oracle shares surge, with the rally contributing to co-founder Larry Ellison briefly becoming one of the world's richest people, with a net worth reported near $382 billion.

Investors have been watching for a deal that would satisfy U.S. security concerns and allow ByteDance to divest its stake in TikTok. The Trump administration historically had delayed a ban that was mandated by a 2024 bipartisan law signed by President Biden, a move that has kept the app on the U.S. market while talks continued. The Supreme Court ruled the divestiture requirement constitutional, giving negotiators a green light to pursue a sale. Earlier this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said American and Chinese officials had reached a framework for a TikTok deal, a process he described as guided by Trump and conducted in Madrid with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. He added that Beijing had pressed for aggressive concessions in the talks.

Deal participants and potential suitors include Oracle and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz and private equity firm Silver Lake, according to media reports. While no signed agreement has been announced, Wall Street has priced in a scenario in which Oracle emerges as the winner, with the broader tech sector watching closely for confirmation. The narratives surrounding the talks have been shaped by a combination of public comments from U.S. officials, signals from Chinese authorities, and the shifting tone of the market as investors digest the potential implications for the tech sector, national security policy, and cross-border commerce.

The timeline remains fluid. Washington has emphasized security concerns tied to data access and national sovereignty, while Beijing has signaled a willingness to negotiate a structural sale or other governance changes. Analysts caution that even with a framework in place, the path to a final agreement is likely to involve multiple rounds of negotiations, regulatory approvals, and potential concessions on antitrust or data-privacy terms. In the near term, traders will look for additional statements from the White House, Treasury, ByteDance, and the deal’s rumored backers about any binding commitments, pricing terms, or divestiture conditions.

Beyond TikTok-specific implications, the negotiations highlight the broader U.S.-China dynamic affecting technology, capital markets, and foreign investment screening. For now, the market remains focused on the potential ownership structure and how it could influence TikTok’s operations in the United States, as well as the long-term posture of American policy toward Chinese-backed tech ventures. Updates will follow as officials and corporate players provide more clarity on the deal’s status and any agreed-upon milestones.