The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Insider Jonathan Howell Sells 70,000 Shares of Stock

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,270 ($15.92), for a total value of £889,000 ($1,114,454.06).

The Sage Group Price Performance

The Sage Group stock opened at GBX 1,286 ($16.12) on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of £12.81 billion, a PE ratio of 4,913.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The Sage Group plc has a 12-month low of GBX 954.20 ($11.96) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,320 ($16.55). The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,029.36 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 1,052.16. 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 Sage Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be given 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 positive change from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is 7,692.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on SGE shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.67) to GBX 1,350 ($16.92) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from £135 ($169.24) to £145 ($181.77) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.16) to GBX 1,090 ($13.66) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,300 ($16.30) to GBX 1,250 ($15.67) and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 3,481.67 ($43.65).

The Sage Group Company Profile

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.