The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the seven analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 3,446.67 ($42.71).

A number of research analysts have issued reports on SGE shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “sell” rating and issued a GBX 1,090 ($13.51) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.50) to GBX 1,350 ($16.73) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.02) to GBX 1,090 ($13.51) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,270 ($15.74), for a total value of £889,000 ($1,101,610.90). Insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

The Sage Group Trading Down 0.2 %

LON:SGE opened at GBX 1,319.50 ($16.35) on Wednesday. The Sage Group has a 12-month low of GBX 954.20 ($11.82) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,349 ($16.72). 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 stock’s 50 day simple moving average is GBX 1,305.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 1,133.19. The firm has a market cap of £13.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 5,075.00, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last issued 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 net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 22.31%. Equities analysts anticipate that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

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

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.