The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,139.61 ($14.38) and traded as high as GBX 1,331 ($16.79). The Sage Group shares last traded at GBX 1,314.58 ($16.59), with a volume of 2,245,657 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on SGE shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.24) to GBX 1,090 ($13.75) and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.76) to GBX 1,350 ($17.03) and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a "sell" rating and set a GBX 1,090 ($13.75) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 3,446.67 ($43.49).

The Sage Group Trading Up 0.4 %

The company has a market capitalization of £13.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 1,307.05 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,143.27. 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 Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The company reported GBX 37.90 ($0.48) EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 11.87%. On average, analysts expect that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 27,844 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,310 ($16.53), for a total transaction of £364,756.40 ($460,202.37). Corporate 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.