The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Receives GBX 3,446.67 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 3,446.67 ($42.76).

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a “sell” rating and issued a GBX 1,090 ($13.52) price objective on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.51) to GBX 1,350 ($16.75) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target 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 research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the 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 transaction of £364,756.40 ($452,495.22). Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

The Sage Group Price Performance

SGE opened at GBX 1,322.01 ($16.40) on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 1,305.49 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 1,131.30. The Sage Group has a 52-week low of GBX 954.20 ($11.84) and a 52-week high of GBX 1,349 ($16.73). The stock has a market capitalization of £13.17 billion, a PE ratio of 5,084.67, 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 Sage Group (LON:SGE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.47) EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 22.31%. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

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