The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Reaches New 1-Year High After Dividend Announcement

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as GBX 1,320 ($16.55) and last traded at GBX 1,269.50 ($15.91), with a volume of 6481024 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,077 ($13.50).

The newly announced 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 is an increase from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. This represents a yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is currently 7,692.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

The Sage Group Trading Up 1.6 %

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is GBX 1,029.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 1,052.16. 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 cap of £12.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 4,913.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

Insider Activity at The Sage Group

In other news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction of £889,000 ($1,114,454.06). 1.08% of the stock is owned by company 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.