Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Reaches New 12-Month Low Following Weak Earnings

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock traded as low as $14.48 and last traded at $14.61, with a volume of 857210 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $15.50.

The business services provider reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $536.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $525.43 million. Deluxe had a net margin of 2.49% and a return on equity of 21.33%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.76 EPS.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.13%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio is presently 96.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. TD Securities decreased their price target on shares of Deluxe from $33.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Sidoti raised shares of Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Deluxe from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Deluxe

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 3,926 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $16.45 per share, with a total value of $64,582.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 272,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,488,398.95. The trade was a 1.46 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Deluxe

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in Deluxe by 93.7% during the fourth 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 last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 25,188 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $569,000 after acquiring an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. raised its stake in Deluxe by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. now owns 18,384 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 860 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in Deluxe by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 87,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,965,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its holdings in Deluxe by 63.5% during 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 last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Deluxe Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $659.75 million, a P/E ratio of 12.50, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.41. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $15.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.49. 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 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.