Insider Buying: The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Insider Buys 10,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider purchase: Derek Harding bought 10,000 shares of The Sage Group on Feb 9 at GBX 864 each, a total cost of about £86,400, indicating insider buying activity.
• Shares fell about 3.1% to GBX 844.40 on Monday with volume (~3.08M) well below its reported average, and the company has a market cap of £7.94bn, a P/E of 22.72 and a beta of 0.53.
• The Sage reported recent quarterly EPS of GBX 43.20 with a net margin of 11.87% and ROE of 24.48%, while analysts’ consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of GBX 1,247; the board also authorized a share repurchase plan.

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) insider Derek Harding purchased 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 864 per share, with a total value of £86,400.

The Sage Group Trading Down 3.1%

LON SGE traded down GBX 26.80 during trading hours on Monday, hitting GBX 844.40. 3,082,278 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 37,567,957. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 1,042.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 1,093.54. The firm has a market cap of £7.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.72, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The Sage Group plc has a 1-year low of GBX 832.80 and a 1-year high of GBX 1,349.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported GBX 43.20 earnings per share for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 24.48%. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, November 19th that allows the company to buyback 0 shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,320 to GBX 1,350 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,200 to GBX 1,150 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded The Sage Group to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the company from GBX 1,100 to GBX 1,135 in a report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 1,500 to GBX 1,300 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Shore Capital Group reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of GBX 1,247.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.