Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) Sets New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Quad Graphics, Inc (NYSE:QUAD) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. The company traded as high as $11.15 and last traded at $10.8180, with a volume of 734737 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $10.39.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on QUAD. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price target on Quad Graphics from $9.80 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Benchmark boosted their price objective on Quad Graphics from $10.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Quad Graphics in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Quad Graphics presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $12.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quad Graphics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Baron Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Quad Graphics by 14.2% in the 2nd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 24,973 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $211,000 after acquiring an additional 3,107 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Quad Graphics during the 1st quarter worth $119,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Quad Graphics by 2.0% during 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 during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in shares of Quad Graphics by 30.5% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 46,365 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 10,849 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Quad Graphics by 1.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,135,439 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $7,506,000 after purchasing an additional 16,815 shares in the last quarter. 39.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Quad Graphics Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $525.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.17 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $8.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.37.

Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. The business 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Quad Graphics, Inc will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Quad Graphics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. Quad Graphics’s payout ratio is 63.49%.

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.