9,753,243 Shares in Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) Bought by Wealthfront Advisers LLC

Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 9,753,243 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $220,326,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC owned 22.03% of Deluxe at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Deluxe by 93.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 534 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Deluxe during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Deluxe during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,206 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 1,166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in Deluxe by 63.5% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,237 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,257 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Deluxe Stock Performance

Shares of DLX stock opened at $16.25 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $721.87 million, a P/E ratio of 13.77, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.46. Deluxe Co. has a 12 month low of $15.13 and a 12 month high of $24.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $20.26 and its 200 day moving average is $20.70.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by ($0.05). Deluxe had a return on equity of 21.33% and a net margin of 2.49%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Deluxe Co. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio is 101.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DLX has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Deluxe from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Sidoti upgraded shares of Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 3,926 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.45 per share, for a total transaction of $64,582.70. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 272,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,488,398.95. This trade represents a 1.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 4.23% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Deluxe

Deluxe Corporation provides technology-enabled solutions to enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates through Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print segments. The Merchant Services offers credit and debit card authorization and payment systems, as well as processing services primarily to small and medium-sized retail and service businesses.