Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $17.71 and last traded at $17.81, with a volume of 24577 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Deluxe Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $21.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $753.25 million, a P/E ratio of 14.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.98.

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

Deluxe Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.05%. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 101.69%.

Insider Transactions at Deluxe

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy bought 2,290 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $23.57 per share, with a total value of $53,975.30. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 180,960 shares in the company, valued at $4,265,227.20. This represents a 1.28 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Deluxe

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Deluxe by 93.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,104 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 534 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Deluxe during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Deluxe in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. FMR LLC grew its position 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 buying an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Deluxe by 63.5% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,237 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 1,257 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

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.