Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $16.85 and last traded at $16.88, with a volume of 398653 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $17.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on DLX shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Deluxe from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Sidoti upgraded Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

Deluxe Stock Down 0.4 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $721.12 million, a P/E ratio of 13.75, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.52. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $21.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

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

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.39%. Deluxe’s payout ratio is 101.69%.

Insider Transactions at Deluxe

In other Deluxe news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy purchased 2,290 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $23.57 per share, for a total transaction of $53,975.30. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 180,960 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,265,227.20. The trade was a 1.28 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 4.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deluxe

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of Deluxe by 99.5% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 52,040 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,176,000 after buying an additional 25,961 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its position in Deluxe by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 100,719 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,275,000 after acquiring an additional 13,683 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 19.7% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 15,200 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Deluxe in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $301,000. Finally, Mork Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Deluxe in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,008,000. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Deluxe Company Profile

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.