289,155 Shares in Deluxe Corporation $DLX Acquired by Towle & Co.

Key Points

• Towle & Co. opened a new position in Deluxe Corporation, buying 289,155 shares worth about $7.96 million in the first quarter. The stake makes Deluxe its 5th largest holding and represents about 0.63% of the company.
• Institutional ownership in Deluxe remains high, with several firms increasing their positions and 93.9% of the stock owned by hedge funds and other institutions. Notable buyers included AQR Capital Management, Invesco, Sei Investments, and Bridgeway Capital Management.
• Deluxe shares were down 2.1% to $25.57, but the company recently beat quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $1.05 versus $0.91 expected. It also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.30, translating to a 4.7% yield.

Towle & Co. purchased a new position in Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 289,155 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $7,963,000. Deluxe accounts for approximately 3.1% of Towle & Co.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Towle & Co. owned approximately 0.63% of Deluxe as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in DLX. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Deluxe by 99.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 543,359 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $8,645,000 after acquiring an additional 271,225 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Deluxe by 56.8% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 681,181 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $15,211,000 after acquiring an additional 246,767 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in Deluxe by 189.4% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 367,278 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $10,115,000 after acquiring an additional 240,359 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Deluxe by 49.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 634,447 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $10,094,000 after acquiring an additional 211,109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP purchased a new stake in Deluxe in the 3rd quarter worth $2,753,000. 93.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Deluxe Trading Down 2.1%

DLX stock opened at $25.57 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $23.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.87. Deluxe Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $15.41 and a fifty-two week high of $32.07. The firm has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 10.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.15.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The business services provider reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.14. Deluxe had a net margin of 5.01% and a return on equity of 24.11%. The company had revenue of $538.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $534.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.75 earnings per share. Deluxe's revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. Deluxe has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.600-4.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Deluxe Corporation will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Deluxe Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 19th were given a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 19th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.7%. Deluxe's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Deluxe from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings cut Deluxe from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Deluxe from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Deluxe Profile

Deluxe Corporation, founded in 1915 and headquartered in Shoreview, Minnesota, is a provider of integrated business and financial technology solutions. Originally established as a check printing company, Deluxe has evolved its offerings to support small businesses, financial institutions and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive suite of services spanning print, digital and software platforms.

The company's core business activities include printing checks, forms and promotional materials, as well as delivering digital marketing and customer engagement solutions.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DLX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.