The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,321.50 ($16.52) and last traded at GBX 1,320.50 ($16.50), with a volume of 6086295 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,305 ($16.31).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SGE has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.12) to GBX 1,090 ($13.62) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.62) to GBX 1,350 ($16.87) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from £135 ($168.73) to £145 ($181.23) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Shore Capital restated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Sage Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 3,918 ($48.97).

The Sage Group Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of £12.85 billion, a PE ratio of 4,959.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is GBX 1,132.94 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 1,071.32.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a dividend of GBX 13.50 ($0.17) per share. This is a boost from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 9th. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is currently 7,692.31%.

Insider Transactions at The Sage Group

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.37), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($455,888.51). 1.08% of the stock is currently 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.