The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 52-Week High - Here's What Happened

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 1,329 ($16.39) and last traded at GBX 1,327.50 ($16.37), with a volume of 2602973 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,322 ($16.30).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SGE shares. Shore Capital reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.42) to GBX 1,350 ($16.64) and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($11.96) to GBX 1,090 ($13.44) and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of GBX 3,918 ($48.30).

The Sage Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of £13.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5,127.45, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 1,256.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 1,107.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.72.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.47) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 22.31% and a net margin of 11.87%. As a group, research analysts predict that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be issued a dividend of GBX 13.50 ($0.17) per share. This is an increase from The Sage Group's previous dividend of $6.95. This represents a yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. The Sage Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7,692.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Sage Group

In other news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.15), for a total value of £364,756.40 ($449,705.83). Insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

The Sage Group Company Profile

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.