The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,149.86 ($14.53) and traded as high as GBX 1,312.50 ($16.58). The Sage Group shares last traded at GBX 1,302.98 ($16.46), with a volume of 1,602,374 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a GBX 1,090 ($13.77) price objective on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.78) to GBX 1,350 ($17.06) and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.26) to GBX 1,090 ($13.77) and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 3,446.67 ($43.55).

The Sage Group Stock 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’s 50 day moving average is GBX 1,308 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 1,150.93. The firm has a market cap of £12.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 24.48%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 9th were paid a GBX 13.50 ($0.17) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 9th. This is a positive change from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is presently 77.74%.

Insider Activity at The Sage Group

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.55), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($460,841.95). 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.