The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) Receives Consensus Rating of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• The Sage Group plc has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from six analysts, with two recommending a sell, two a hold, and two a buy.
• The company's shares opened at GBX 1,268.08 ($16.93) and have a 12-month target price from analysts averaging GBX 3,906 ($52.16).
• Insider Steve Hare purchased 3,076 shares at an average cost of GBX 1,206 ($16.11), indicating confidence in the company's future prospects.

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 3,500 ($46.46).

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 1,480 ($19.64) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on The Sage Group from GBX 1,090 ($14.47) to GBX 1,080 ($14.34) and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 1,350 ($17.92) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a GBX 1,500 ($19.91) price target on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Shore Capital reissued a "hold" rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Steve Hare acquired 3,076 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 1,206 ($16.01) per share, with a total value of £37,096.56 ($49,238.86). Corporate insiders own 1.08% of the company's stock.

The Sage Group Trading Down 1.5%

SGE traded down GBX 18.37 ($0.24) during trading on Wednesday, reaching GBX 1,201.63 ($15.95). The company had a trading volume of 1,270,099 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,205,709. The Sage Group has a 52 week low of GBX 960 ($12.74) and a 52 week high of GBX 1,349 ($17.91). The stock has a market cap of £11.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.71, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,242.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 1,243.94. 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 released its earnings results on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported GBX 20.80 ($0.28) earnings per share for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 11.87%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Sage Group will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, May 15th that permits the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

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.