Quad Graphics, Inc (NYSE:QUAD) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

Quad Graphics, Inc (NYSE:QUAD) was the target of a large decline in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,417,309 shares, a decline of 15.3% from the February 12th total of 1,673,359 shares. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 331,254 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 331,254 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.3 days. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Institutional Trading of Quad Graphics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of QUAD. D Orazio & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of Quad Graphics by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 15,032 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $94,000 after acquiring an additional 1,820 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Quad Graphics by 0.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 703,720 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $3,977,000 after acquiring an additional 1,837 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Quad Graphics by 3.8% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 70,767 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $400,000 after purchasing an additional 2,558 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Quad Graphics by 10.6% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 29,936 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $188,000 after purchasing an additional 2,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Quad Graphics by 17.0% during the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 19,893 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 2,885 shares in the last quarter. 39.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Quad Graphics Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE QUAD traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $6.64. 21,512 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 189,821. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The company has a market cap of $347.01 million, a PE ratio of 12.30 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $6.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.21. Quad Graphics has a 52 week low of $4.50 and a 52 week high of $7.54.

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

Quad Graphics Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. This is a boost from Quad Graphics’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Quad Graphics’s payout ratio is presently 74.07%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on QUAD. Wall Street Zen raised Quad Graphics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Quad Graphics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Quad Graphics in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their target price on shares of Quad Graphics from $8.20 to $9.80 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $9.90.

About Quad Graphics

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.