Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) reached a new 52-week low during 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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Deluxe Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $753.25 million, a PE ratio of 14.42, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.94.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share 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%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Deluxe Co. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.05%. Deluxe’s payout ratio is currently 101.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Deluxe

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted 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 purchasing an additional 534 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC bought a new position in Deluxe in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Deluxe in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $36,000. FMR LLC grew its stake in Deluxe by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,206 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 1,166 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised 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 acquiring an additional 1,257 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.