Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Strong-Buy Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on QUAD. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Quad Graphics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $10.00 price objective on shares of Quad Graphics in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Quad Graphics in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities decreased their price target on Quad Graphics from $8.60 to $8.20 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $9.10.

Quad Graphics Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of QUAD opened at $7.03 on Friday. Quad Graphics has a 52-week low of $4.50 and a 52-week high of $7.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.15. The company has a market capitalization of $357.69 million, a PE ratio of 13.02 and a beta of 1.10.

Quad Graphics (NYSE:QUAD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The business services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.36. Quad Graphics had a net margin of 1.12% and a return on equity of 49.71%. The firm had revenue of $630.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $632.90 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Quad Graphics will post 1.08 EPS for the current year.

Quad Graphics Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This is a boost from Quad Graphics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Quad Graphics’s payout ratio is presently 55.56%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Quad Graphics

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Quad Graphics during the first quarter worth about $2,101,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in shares of Quad Graphics by 1,135.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 18,941 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 17,408 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Quad Graphics by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 315,209 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $1,718,000 after buying an additional 21,448 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth acquired a new stake in Quad Graphics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $144,000. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in Quad Graphics by 48.3% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 7,572 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 2,466 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.52% of the company’s stock.

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.