The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Sets New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,329 ($16.42) and last traded at GBX 1,327.50 ($16.40), with a volume of 2602973 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,322 ($16.33).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on SGE. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.45) to GBX 1,350 ($16.67) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Shore Capital reissued a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($11.98) to GBX 1,090 ($13.46) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 3,918 ($48.39).

The Sage Group Trading Up 0.1 %

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 stock has a market capitalization of £13.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5,144.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 1,268.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 1,111.26.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last released its quarterly earnings results 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%. As a group, research analysts expect that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a dividend of GBX 13.50 ($0.17) per share. 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 dividend yield of 1.25%. The Sage Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7,692.31%.

Insider Activity at The Sage Group

In other The Sage Group news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.18), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($450,539.03). 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.