The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 1,088.29 ($13.52) and traded as high as GBX 1,288 ($16.00). The Sage Group shares last traded at GBX 1,278.73 ($15.88), with a volume of 1,275,263 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SGE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Shore Capital reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.05) to GBX 1,090 ($13.54) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,170 ($14.53) to GBX 1,350 ($16.77) and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of The Sage Group from £135 ($167.70) to £145 ($180.12) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of GBX 3,918 ($48.67).

The Sage Group Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 1,192.04 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 1,089.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72. The stock has a market capitalization of £12.73 billion, a PE ratio of 4,912.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

The Sage Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 9th will be given a GBX 13.50 ($0.17) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.25%. This is a boost from The Sage Group’s previous dividend of $6.95. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 9th. The Sage Group’s payout ratio is 7,692.31%.

Insider Transactions at The Sage Group

In related news, insider Jonathan Howell sold 70,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 1,270 ($15.78), for a total value of £889,000 ($1,104,347.83). Corporate 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.