Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Quad Graphics to “strong buy” from “hold.” Other analysts also remain positive, giving the stock an overall “Buy” consensus and an average price target of $12.00.
• Quad Graphics reported quarterly EPS of $0.24, beating estimates of $0.20, while revenue of $577.5 million exceeded the $545.15 million consensus forecast.
• The stock opened at $10.50, near its 12-month high of $11.15, after rising above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages; institutional investors own approximately 39.5% of the shares.

Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

QUAD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price target on Quad Graphics from $9.80 to $13.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Quad Graphics in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Benchmark boosted their target price on Quad Graphics from $10.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Quad Graphics has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $12.00.

Quad Graphics Price Performance

Shares of Quad Graphics stock opened at $10.50 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $541.48 million, a PE ratio of 16.67 and a beta of 1.11. Quad Graphics has a 12-month low of $5.12 and a 12-month high of $11.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $8.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $7.35.

Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $577.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $545.15 million. Quad Graphics had a net margin of 1.31% and a return on equity of 47.90%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Quad Graphics will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Quad Graphics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in QUAD. Baron Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Quad Graphics by 14.2% during the second quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 24,973 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 3,107 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Quad Graphics in the 1st quarter worth about $119,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Quad Graphics by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 460,452 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $3,044,000 after acquiring an additional 9,174 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in Quad Graphics by 30.5% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 46,365 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $306,000 after acquiring an additional 10,849 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Quad Graphics by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,135,439 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $7,506,000 after acquiring an additional 16,815 shares during the period. 39.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Quad Graphics Company Profile

Quad Graphics, Inc NYSE: QUAD is a global provider of print and related marketing services, serving a diverse range of clients in the publishing, retail, e-commerce and consumer packaged goods sectors. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span traditional print production, supply chain management and digital marketing support. Quad Graphics leverages a network of production facilities and distribution centers to deliver high-quality printed materials and integrated marketing programs that help clients reach their target audiences across multiple channels.

The company's core offerings include magazine and catalog printing, direct mail, retail inserts, shopper marketing materials, custom packaging and point-of-sale displays.

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