The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,149.86 ($14.53) and traded as high as GBX 1,312.50 ($16.58). The Sage Group shares last traded at GBX 1,302.98 ($16.46), with a volume of 1,602,374 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on SGE shares. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a GBX 1,090 ($13.77) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.78) to GBX 1,350 ($17.06) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.26) to GBX 1,090 ($13.77) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 3,446.67 ($43.55).

The Sage Group Stock Down 0.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00. The company’s fifty day moving average is GBX 1,308.07 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 1,149.86. The company has a market cap of £12.90 billion, a PE ratio of 50.65, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

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

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at The Sage Group

In other news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.55), for a total transaction of £364,756.40 ($460,841.95). Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

About The Sage Group

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.