The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is GBX 1,250.

A number of equities analysts have 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 note on Thursday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,100 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Panmure Gordon restated a “hold” rating and issued a GBX 1,300 price target on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,250 to GBX 1,200 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, November 20th.

The Sage Group Stock Performance

LON SGE opened at GBX 1,025.50 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00. The company has a market capitalization of £9.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The Sage Group has a 12-month low of GBX 1,004.33 and a 12-month high of GBX 1,349. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,071.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1,115.28.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported GBX 43.20 EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 24.48%. Analysts anticipate that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current year.

The Sage Group declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, November 19th that permits the company to buyback 0 shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Sage Group

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

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.