The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Sets New 12-Month High – What’s Next?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,329 ($16.39) and last traded at GBX 1,327.50 ($16.37), with a volume of 2602973 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,322 ($16.30).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($11.96) to GBX 1,090 ($13.44) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.42) to GBX 1,350 ($16.64) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Sage Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 3,918 ($48.30).

The Sage Group Stock Up 0.6 %

The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,256.70 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,107.95. The company has a market capitalization of £13.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 5,117.31, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.58.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.47) EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 22.31% and a net margin of 11.87%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be given a dividend of GBX 13.50 ($0.17) per share. This represents a yield of 1.25%. This is a boost from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is presently 7,692.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.15), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($449,705.83). Company insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

The Sage Group Company Profile

The Sage Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions and services for small and medium businesses in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. It offers cloud native solutions, such as Sage Intacct, a cloud accounting software product and financial management software; Sage People, a HR and people management solution; Sage 200, a finance and business management solution; Sage X3, a business management solution; Sage Accounting, a solution for small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers to manage customer data, accounts, and people; Sage Payroll for small businesses manage their payroll; and Sage HR for small and mid-sized businesses for record management, leave management, staff scheduling, and expenses services.