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

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Deluxe Trading Down 0.9 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $21.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $747.40 million, a P/E ratio of 14.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) last posted its earnings results 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 return on equity of 21.33% and a net margin of 2.49%. On average, analysts anticipate that Deluxe Co. will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

Deluxe Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders 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 yield of 7.11%. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio is currently 101.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 2,290 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $23.57 per share, with a total value of $53,975.30. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 180,960 shares in the company, valued at $4,265,227.20. The trade was a 1.28 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deluxe

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

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.