The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 1,343.50 ($16.66) and last traded at GBX 1,341 ($16.63), with a volume of 6505574 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,329 ($16.48).

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on SGE. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.51) to GBX 1,350 ($16.74) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.03) to GBX 1,090 ($13.52) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a GBX 1,090 ($13.52) price target on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Sage Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 3,446.67 ($42.74).

The Sage Group Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of £13.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 5,125.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,301.79 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,123.34.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.47) earnings per share for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 22.31%. On average, analysts expect that The Sage Group plc 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. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a GBX 13.50 ($0.17) dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. This is an increase from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is currently 7,692.31%.

Insider Activity at The Sage Group

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,270 ($15.75), for a total value of £889,000 ($1,102,293.86). 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.