The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the six research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 3,918 ($49.71).

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.84) to GBX 1,350 ($17.13) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup increased their price objective on The Sage Group from £135 ($171.28) to £145 ($183.96) and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.31) to GBX 1,090 ($13.83) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Sage Group news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.62), for a total transaction of £364,756.40 ($462,771.38). Insiders own 1.08% of the company’s stock.

The Sage Group Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of LON:SGE opened at GBX 1,299 ($16.48) on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of GBX 1,114.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 1,066.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72. The Sage Group has a 12-month low of GBX 954.20 ($12.11) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,321 ($16.76). The firm has a market capitalization of £12.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 4,996.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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. This is a positive change from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. The Sage Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7,692.31%.

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.