(Alliance News) - Sage Group PLC has made a strong start to its new financial year, thanks to growth in its cloud computing business, it said Wednesday, as the accounting software firm reaffirmed its annual guidance.
Sage's financial year ends on September 30.
The Newcastle, England-based company said organic revenue totalled GBP458 million in the three months to December 31 - the company's first financial quarter - up 5.3% from GBP435 million a year before.
Sage highlighted that recurring revenue grew by 8% to GBP429 million from GBP398 million. This was bolstered by a 21% rise in revenue from Sage Business Cloud to GBP280 million from GBP232 million.
Sage's software subscription revenue also grew, rising 13% to GBP336 million from GBP296 million in the same period the previous year.
Regionally, North American, Northern Europe and International all saw growth in recurring revenue against the same period of the previous year.
North America was Sage's best performing region, with recurring revenue increasing by 11% to GBP174 million from GBP157 million the year before. Sage said this reflected the strength of Sage Intacct, its cloud-based accounting software offering for mid-sized businesses, alongside growth in Sage's other cloud-connected products, such as payroll and client management software.
Other revenue achieved through server reporting services and processing decreased by 22% to GBP29 million. Sage explained that this was in line with its strategy to transition away from licence sales and professional services implementations.
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Howell said: "Sage has made a strong start to the year, accelerating growth in line with expectations. Sage Business Cloud has performed particularly well, driven by continued growth in both cloud native and cloud connected solutions, as we execute on our strategy to be the trusted network for small and mid-sized businesses. Accordingly, we reiterate our guidance for the full year."
Shares in Sage were down 3.2% at 738.04 pence on Wednesday morning in London.
By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com
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