Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Has Announced A Dividend Of $0.30

The board of Deluxe Corporation (NYSE:DLX) has announced that it will pay a dividend of $0.30 per share on the 5th of December. This makes the dividend yield 6.2%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely.

Our analysis indicates that DLX is potentially undervalued!

Deluxe's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

A big dividend yield for a few years doesn't mean much if it can't be sustained. Before this announcement, Deluxe was paying out 86% of earnings, but a comparatively small 64% of free cash flows. This leaves plenty of cash for reinvestment into the business.

Earnings per share is forecast to rise by 4.7% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 82%, which is on the higher side, but certainly still feasible.

Deluxe Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. Since 2012, the dividend has gone from $1.00 total annually to $1.20. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 1.8% over that duration. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Let's not jump to conclusions as things might not be as good as they appear on the surface. Over the past five years, it looks as though Deluxe's EPS has declined at around 19% a year. Dividend payments are likely to come under some pressure unless EPS can pull out of the nosedive it is in. On the bright side, earnings are predicted to gain some ground over the next year, but until this turns into a pattern we wouldn't be feeling too comfortable.

In Summary

Overall, we don't think this company makes a great dividend stock, even though the dividend wasn't cut this year. The company is generating plenty of cash, but we still think the dividend is a bit high for comfort. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've identified 3 warning signs for Deluxe (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.