The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 3,918 ($47.84).

A number of analysts have recently commented on SGE shares. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($11.84) to GBX 1,090 ($13.31) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.29) to GBX 1,350 ($16.48) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,270 ($15.51), for a total transaction of £889,000 ($1,085,470.09). 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

The Sage Group Price Performance

Shares of The Sage Group stock opened at GBX 1,285.67 ($15.70) on Friday. The firm has a market cap of £12.81 billion, a PE ratio of 4,944.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The Sage Group has a twelve month low of GBX 954.20 ($11.65) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,328.50 ($16.22). 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,219.68 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,098.39.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a GBX 13.50 ($0.16) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a yield of 1.25%. This is a positive change from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.