Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $21.28 and traded as high as $22.71. Deluxe shares last traded at $22.51, with a volume of 152,448 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Deluxe from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th.

Deluxe Stock Up 1.5 %

The business's fifty day simple moving average is $22.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.38. The stock has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.52.

Deluxe Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 19th. Deluxe's dividend payout ratio is presently 96.77%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 2,290 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $23.57 per share, with a total value of $53,975.30. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 180,960 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,265,227.20. The trade was a 1.28 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 4.23% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Deluxe

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Deluxe by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,040,327 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $45,824,000 after buying an additional 123,361 shares in the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 186,766 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,640,000 after purchasing an additional 26,473 shares during the period. Arjuna Capital bought a new stake in shares of Deluxe in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,490,000. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 115,280 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,247,000 after purchasing an additional 10,447 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 73.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 148,447 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $2,893,000 after purchasing an additional 62,715 shares during the period. 93.90% of the stock is owned by 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.