The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 1,024.27 and last traded at GBX 1,025, with a volume of 314290625 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,041.50.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 1,500 to GBX 1,300 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Shore Capital reissued a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,320 to GBX 1,350 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,100 price objective on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Panmure Gordon restated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,300 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Sage Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of GBX 1,250.

The Sage Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.76. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 1,074.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 1,118.91. The firm has a market cap of £9.65 billion, a PE ratio of 27.31, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported GBX 43.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 11.87%. Equities analysts predict that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Wednesday, November 19th that allows the company to buyback 0 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Sage Group

In other news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 88,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,065, for a total transaction of £944,942.55. Also, insider Steve Hare sold 127,828 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,065, for a total transaction of £1,361,368.20. 0.95% 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.