Insider Buying: The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Insider Purchases 35,000 Shares of Stock

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) insider John Bates bought 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 811 per share, with a total value of £283,850.

The Sage Group Trading Up 2.0%

SGE stock opened at GBX 809.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 114.00, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.76. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is GBX 1,023.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 1,083.93. The Sage Group plc has a 52 week low of GBX 790.60 and a 52 week high of GBX 1,335. The company has a market capitalization of £7.61 billion, a PE ratio of 21.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

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

The Sage Group declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, November 19th that allows the company to buyback 0 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group raised The Sage Group to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from GBX 1,100 to GBX 1,135 in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Panmure Gordon reiterated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 1,300 target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Shore Capital Group reissued a “hold” rating on shares of The Sage Group in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 1,200 to GBX 1,150 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 1,320 to GBX 1,350 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research 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 MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 1,247.

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.