Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) Stock Crosses Below 50-Day Moving Average After Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Quad Graphics' stock price fell below its fifty-day moving average after Rosenblatt Securities downgraded its price target from $8.90 to $8.60.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.075, reflecting an annual yield of 5.3%, despite a negative dividend payout ratio of -93.75%.
• Several research firms have rated Quad Graphics positively, with Wall Street Zen upgrading its rating from "buy" to "strong-buy" while maintaining a $10.00 price target by Barrington Research.

Shares of Quad Graphics, Inc (NYSE:QUAD - Get Free Report) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday after Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $5.60 and traded as low as $5.28. Quad Graphics shares last traded at $5.71, with a volume of 519,748 shares changing hands.

A number of other research firms have also commented on QUAD. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $10.00 price target on shares of Quad Graphics in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Rosenblatt Securities decreased their target price on Quad Graphics from $8.90 to $8.60 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 31st.

Institutional Trading of Quad Graphics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Quad Graphics by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 37,246 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 1,629 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Quad Graphics by 48.3% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 7,572 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 2,466 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Quad Graphics by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 88,705 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Quad Graphics by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 48,064 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $335,000 after purchasing an additional 5,301 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Quad Graphics by 28.4% during the 1st quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 29,630 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $161,000 after purchasing an additional 6,550 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.52% of the company's stock.

Quad Graphics Trading Up 12.5%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $5.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $5.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $337.57 million, a PE ratio of -20.84 and a beta of 1.43.

Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The business services provider reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $571.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $555.05 million. Quad Graphics had a positive return on equity of 70.06% and a negative net margin of 0.55%. Equities analysts expect that Quad Graphics, Inc will post 1.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quad Graphics Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. Quad Graphics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -93.75%.

Quad Graphics Company Profile

Quad/Graphics, Inc provides marketing solutions worldwide. The company operates through United States Print and Related Services, and International segments. It offers printing services, such as retail inserts, publications, catalogs, special interest publications, journals, direct mail, directories, in-store marketing and promotion, packaging, newspapers, custom print products, and other commercial and specialty printed products; and paper procurement services.