The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as GBX 778.80 and last traded at GBX 780.40, with a volume of 57700492 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 819.20.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of The Sage Group to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from GBX 1,100 to GBX 1,135 in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,200 to GBX 1,150 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered 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 note on Thursday, December 4th. Panmure Gordon reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a GBX 1,300 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 1,247.

The Sage Group Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 973.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 1,057.29. 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 company has a market cap of £7.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.62, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, November 19th that permits the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Sage Group

In other news, insider Steve Hare sold 127,828 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,065, for a total transaction of £1,361,368.20. Also, insider John Bates purchased 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 811 per share, for a total transaction of £283,850. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 55,000 shares of company stock valued at $45,415,000. 0.99% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.