The Sage Group (LON:SGE) Trading Up 14.3% Following Dividend Announcement

The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE) shares were up 14.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as GBX 1,320 ($16.62) and last traded at GBX 1,231.45 ($15.50). Approximately 141,714,766 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 2,699% from the average daily volume of 5,063,677 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 1,077 ($13.56).

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on SGE shares. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of The Sage Group from £135 ($169.96) to £145 ($182.55) and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of The Sage Group from GBX 970 ($12.21) to GBX 1,090 ($13.72) and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on The Sage Group from GBX 1,300 ($16.37) to GBX 1,250 ($15.74) and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of GBX 3,908 ($49.20).

The Sage Group Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 115.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The business’s 50-day moving average price is GBX 1,023.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 1,051.45. The company has a market capitalization of £12.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 4,907.69, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.53.

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.