Empowered Funds LLC Acquires 11,122 Shares of Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX)

Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 220,391 shares of the business services provider’s stock after buying an additional 11,122 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned about 0.50% of Deluxe worth $4,295,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. EMC Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Deluxe by 10.7% in the first quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 5,417 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its holdings in Deluxe by 2.8% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 22,200 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $499,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in Deluxe by 55.9% in the 2nd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,262 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 811 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Deluxe during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 10.7% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 12,532 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 1,211 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised Deluxe from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy bought 2,820 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $19.08 per share, for a total transaction of $53,805.60. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 178,670 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,409,023.60. The trade was a 1.60 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 4.23% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Deluxe Stock Performance

DLX opened at $23.21 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $19.85 and its 200 day moving average is $21.10. 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 company has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.72, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.46. Deluxe Co. has a 12-month low of $17.60 and a 12-month high of $24.87.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.17%. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.77%.

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.