Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $15.07 and last traded at $15.20, with a volume of 316519 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.25.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on DLX shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Deluxe from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Sidoti upgraded Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

Deluxe Stock Down 6.6 %

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $678.36 million, a PE ratio of 12.86, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.46.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.80 by ($0.05). Deluxe had a return on equity of 21.33% and a net margin of 2.49%. On average, 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 was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.91%. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio is presently 101.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Deluxe

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy bought 3,926 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.45 per share, for a total transaction of $64,582.70. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 272,851 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,488,398.95. The trade was a 1.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 5.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Deluxe

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in shares of Deluxe during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,565,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Deluxe by 99.5% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 52,040 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,176,000 after acquiring an additional 25,961 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 13,683 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in Deluxe by 19.7% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 15,200 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $343,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Deluxe during the fourth quarter valued at $301,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.