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

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,349 ($16.73) and last traded at GBX 1,340.50 ($16.63), with a volume of 2220616 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,329 ($16.49).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on SGE shares. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.03) to GBX 1,090 ($13.52) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.51) to GBX 1,350 ($16.75) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “sell” rating and set a GBX 1,090 ($13.52) price target on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 3,446.67 ($42.76).

The Sage Group Trading Down 0.3 %

The firm has a market capitalization of £13.17 billion, a PE ratio of 5,084.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,305.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 1,131.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72.

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

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be paid a GBX 13.50 ($0.17) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. This is a positive change from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is currently 7,692.31%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.25), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($452,495.22). 1.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.