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

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

The Sage Group Price Performance

SGE 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 company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The business’s 50-day moving average is GBX 1,029.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 1,052.16. The Sage Group plc has a 1 year low of GBX 954.20 ($11.96) and a 1 year high of GBX 1,320 ($16.55).

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be given a GBX 13.50 ($0.17) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. This is an increase from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is presently 7,692.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SGE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on The Sage Group from £135 ($169.24) to £145 ($181.77) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. 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 stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.16) to GBX 1,090 ($13.66) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of 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 report on Wednesday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 3,481.67 ($43.65).

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.