Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Upgraded by StockNews.com to "Strong-Buy" Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Deluxe (NYSE:DLX - Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Separately, Sidoti upgraded Deluxe to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th.

Deluxe Stock Performance

NYSE:DLX traded down $0.41 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $15.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 486,759 shares, compared to its average volume of 254,741. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $15.13 and a fifty-two week high of $24.87. The firm's 50 day moving average is $20.13 and its 200-day moving average is $20.68. The firm has a market cap of $704.10 million, a P/E ratio of 13.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.46.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Deluxe will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Deluxe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. Deluxe's payout ratio is currently 101.69%.

Insider Transactions at Deluxe

In related news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy bought 3,926 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.45 per share, with a total value of $64,582.70. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 272,851 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,488,398.95. This trade represents a 1.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.23% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Deluxe

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DLX. Wealthfront Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Deluxe during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $220,326,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Deluxe by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,260,552 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $118,836,000 after purchasing an additional 64,060 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Deluxe by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,361,658 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $53,351,000 after purchasing an additional 177,534 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Deluxe by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,695,132 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $33,038,000 after purchasing an additional 18,133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Deluxe by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,280,259 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $28,921,000 after purchasing an additional 31,288 shares in the last quarter. 93.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.