The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Stock Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 1,139.61 ($14.34) and traded as high as GBX 1,331 ($16.75). The Sage Group shares last traded at GBX 1,314.58 ($16.55), with a volume of 2,245,657 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SGE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “sell” rating and set a GBX 1,090 ($13.72) price objective on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.73) to GBX 1,350 ($16.99) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.21) to GBX 1,090 ($13.72) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Sage Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 3,446.67 ($43.38).

The Sage Group Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of £13.02 billion, a PE ratio of 51.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is GBX 1,306.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 1,140.83.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.48) earnings per share for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 11.87%. Equities research analysts predict that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th were issued a dividend of GBX 13.50 ($0.17) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. This is an increase from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.74%.

Insider Transactions at The Sage Group

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.49), for a total transaction of £364,756.40 ($459,101.83). 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.