The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 52-Week Low – Here’s What Happened

Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 782.19 and last traded at GBX 788.20, with a volume of 2451196 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 807.40.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on SGE. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 1,320 to GBX 1,350 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Panmure Gordon reissued a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,300 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,500 to GBX 1,300 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 1,247.

The Sage Group Stock Down 2.4%

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 firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,012.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 1,075.47. The firm has a market capitalization of £7.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported GBX 43.20 EPS for the quarter. The Sage Group had a return on equity of 24.48% and a net margin of 11.87%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Sage Group declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, November 19th that authorizes the company to buyback 0 shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at The Sage Group

In related news, insider John Bates purchased 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 811 per share, for a total transaction of £283,850. Also, insider Derek Harding purchased 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 864 per share, with a total value of £86,400. Corporate insiders own 0.99% 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.