The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Hits New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 944 and last traded at GBX 946.60, with a volume of 8915379 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 965.60.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SGE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of The Sage Group to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from GBX 1,100 to GBX 1,135 in a research report on Monday. Panmure Gordon reiterated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,300 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Thursday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on 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. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 1,247.

The Sage Group Stock Down 4.2%

The stock has a market cap of £8.79 billion, a PE ratio of 24.89, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The company has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 1,059.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1,104.69.

The Sage Group (LON:SGE) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. Analysts expect that The Sage Group plc will post 42.1496095 EPS for the current year.

The Sage Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, November 19th that authorizes the company to repurchase 0 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 88,727 shares of The Sage Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,065, for a total value of £944,942.55. Also, insider Steve Hare sold 127,828 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 1,065, for a total value of £1,361,368.20. Insiders own 0.95% 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.