The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Receives "Buy" Rating from 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 note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They presently have a GBX 1,480 ($19.55) price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target would indicate a potential upside of 23.95% from the company's previous close.

Several other brokerages have also commented on SGE. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,090 ($14.40) to GBX 1,080 ($14.27) and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 1,350 ($17.83) price target on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a GBX 1,500 ($19.82) price target on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Wednesday. Two 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's stock. According to MarketBeat, The Sage Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of GBX 3,500 ($46.24).

The Sage Group Stock Down 2.1%

SGE stock opened at GBX 1,194 ($15.77) on Thursday. The company's 50 day moving average price is GBX 1,243.29 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 1,244.45. 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 Sage Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 960 ($12.68) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 1,349 ($17.82). The firm has a market capitalization of £11.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.41, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported GBX 20.80 ($0.27) EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a net margin of 11.87% and a return on equity of 24.48%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, May 15th that permits the company to repurchase 0 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Steve Hare bought 3,076 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 1,206 ($15.93) per share, for a total transaction of £37,096.56 ($49,004.70). Insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.