The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Given "Buy" Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group has reissued a "buy" rating for The Sage Group (LON:SGE) with a price target of GBX 1,480 ($19.55), indicating a potential upside of 23.95% from its previous close.
• The company's stock is currently down 2.1%, with a market capitalization of £11.82 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.41.
• Insider Steve Hare purchased 3,076 shares at an average price of GBX 1,206 ($15.93), suggesting that he believes the stock is undervalued.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by Jefferies Financial Group in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a GBX 1,480 ($19.67) target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target would suggest a potential upside of 25.00% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on SGE. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 1,350 ($17.94) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Shore Capital reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,090 ($14.49) to GBX 1,080 ($14.35) and set a "sell" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a GBX 1,500 ($19.94) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of GBX 3,500 ($46.52).

The Sage Group Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of LON SGE traded down GBX 5.50 ($0.07) during midday trading on Thursday, hitting GBX 1,184 ($15.74). 2,056,876 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,166,423. The Sage Group has a 12-month low of GBX 960 ($12.76) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,349 ($17.93). 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 1,241.63 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 1,242.39. The firm has a market cap of £11.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported GBX 20.80 ($0.28) earnings per share for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 24.48%. As a group, analysts expect that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 earnings per share for the current year.

The Sage Group announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, May 15th that authorizes the company to buyback 0 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Steve Hare acquired 3,076 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 1,206 ($16.03) per share, with a total value of £37,096.56 ($49,304.31). 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.