Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX)’s share price hit a new 52-week low 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

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DLX shares. Sidoti upgraded Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a research 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 Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $22.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.00. The firm has a market cap of $790.66 million, a PE ratio of 15.14, a PEG ratio of 0.57 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 released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 2.49% and a return on equity of 21.33%. On average, research analysts forecast that Deluxe Co. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.72%. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 101.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Deluxe

In related news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy bought 2,290 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $23.57 per share, for a total transaction of $53,975.30. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 180,960 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,265,227.20. This trade represents a 1.28 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 4.23% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 534 shares during the period. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Deluxe during the third quarter worth $32,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Deluxe in the third quarter valued at $36,000. FMR LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Deluxe by 63.5% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,237 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,257 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.