DLX (Deluxe) Piotroski F-Score: 7 (As of Jun. 25, 2026) — 40% Above Median


DLX Deluxe Corp DLX
69 GF Score
Price $23.50
GF Value $18.38
Valuation Modestly Overvalued
! 3 Warning Signs
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What is Deluxe Piotroski F-Score?

Deluxe DLX +3.75% 69 Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 40% above its 10-year median of 5.00. GuruFocus rates DLX with a GF Score™ of 69/100 and a GF Value™ of $18.38 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 556 Conglomerates companies, Deluxe ranks better than 89.57% on this metric.

Good Sign:

Piotroski F-Score is 7, indicates a very healthy situation.

The zones of discrimination were as such:

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Deluxe has an F-score of 7. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.

The historical rank and industry rank for Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:

DLX' s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 3   Med: 5   Max: 8
Current: 7

During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Deluxe was 8. The lowest was 3. And the median was 5.

Deluxe  (NYSE:DLX) Piotroski F-Score Explanation

The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.

He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.

In 2000, he wrote a research paper called "Value Investing: The Use of Historical Financial Statement Information to Separate Winners from Losers" (pdf).

He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.

What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.

Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.

Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).

Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.


Deluxe Piotroski F-Score Related Terms


Deluxe Piotroski F-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Deluxe Piotroski F-Score Chart

Deluxe Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Piotroski F-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 5.00 5.00 4.00 6.00 7.00

Deluxe Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Piotroski F-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 6.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 7.00

DLX vs AIAI, CODI, TTI: Piotroski F-Score Comparison

For the Conglomerates subindustry, Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Deluxe Piotroski F-Score vs Conglomerates Industry

For the Conglomerates industry and Industrials sector, Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score falls into.


DLX
69GF Score
Deluxe Corp DLX
Piotroski F-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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How is the Piotroski F-Score calculated?

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Mar26) TTM:Last Year (Mar25) TTM:
Net Income was 22.385 + 33.729 + 11.974 + 35.8 = $104 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 51.074 + 67.147 + 102.079 + 52.7 = $273 Mil.
Revenue was 521.262 + 540.247 + 535.22 + 538.1 = $2,135 Mil.
Gross Profit was 279.264 + 291.109 + 279.28 + 279.4 = $1,129 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of this year (Mar25)
to the end of this year (Mar26) was
(2573.817 + 2535.034 + 2587.398 + 2863.6 + 2556.3) / 5 = $2623.2298 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of this year (Mar25) was $2,574 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $1,419 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $393 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $342 Mil.
Net Income was 20.459 + 8.931 + 12.607 + 14 = $56 Mil.

Revenue was 537.816 + 528.444 + 520.585 + 536.5 = $2,123 Mil.
Gross Profit was 288.79 + 281.867 + 272.305 + 281 = $1,124 Mil.
Average Total Assets from the begining of last year (Mar24)
to the end of last year (Mar25) was
(2728.596 + 2666.306 + 2622.917 + 2831 + 2573.817) / 5 = $2684.5272 Mil.
Total Assets at the begining of last year (Mar24) was $2,729 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was $1,502 Mil.
Total Current Assets was $368 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was $397 Mil.

*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.

Profitability

Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)

Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Deluxe's current Net Income (TTM) was 104. ==> Positive ==> Score 1.

Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)

Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.

Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.

Deluxe's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 273. ==> Positive ==> Score 1.

Question 3. Change in Return on Assets

Compare this year's return on assets (1) to last year's return on assets.

Score 1 if it's higher, 0 if it's lower.

ROA (This Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (Mar25)
=103.888/2573.817
=0.0403634

ROA (Last Year)=Net Income/Total Assets (Mar24)
=55.997/2728.596
=0.02052228

Deluxe's return on assets of this year was 0.0403634. Deluxe's return on assets of last year was 0.02052228. ==> This year is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)

Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)

Score 1 if CFROA > ROA, 0 if CFROA <= ROA.

Deluxe's current Net Income (TTM) was 104. Deluxe's current Cash Flow from Operations (TTM) was 273. ==> 273 > 104 ==> CFROA > ROA ==> Score 1.

Funding

Question 5. Change in Gearing or Leverage

Compare this year's gearing (long-term debt divided by average total assets) to last year's gearing.

Score 0 if this year's gearing is higher, 1 otherwise.

Gearing (This Year: Mar26)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from Mar25 to Mar26
=1419.4/2623.2298
=0.5410887

Gearing (Last Year: Mar25)=Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation/Average Total Assets from Mar24 to Mar25
=1502.273/2684.5272
=0.55960431

Deluxe's gearing of this year was 0.5410887. Deluxe's gearing of last year was 0.55960431. ==> This year is lower or equal to last year. ==> Score 1.

Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)

Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.

Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

Current Ratio (This Year: Mar26)=Total Current Assets/Total Current Liabilities
=392.6/342.1
=1.14761766

Current Ratio (Last Year: Mar25)=Total Current Assets/Total Current Liabilities
=367.622/396.748
=0.92658816

Deluxe's current ratio of this year was 1.14761766. Deluxe's current ratio of last year was 0.92658816. ==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.

Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue

Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.

Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.

Deluxe's number of shares in issue this year was 46.3. Deluxe's number of shares in issue last year was 45.3. ==> There is larger number of shares in issue this year. ==> Score 0.

Efficiency

Question 8. Change in Gross Margin

Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.

Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.

Gross Margin (This Year: TTM)=Gross Profit/Revenue
=1129.053/2134.829
=0.5288728

Gross Margin (Last Year: TTM)=Gross Profit/Revenue
=1123.962/2123.345
=0.52933555

Deluxe's gross margin of this year was 0.5288728. Deluxe's gross margin of last year was 0.52933555. ==> Last year's gross margin is higher ==> Score 0.

Question 9. Change in asset turnover

Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.

Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower

Asset Turnover (This Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of This Year (Mar25)
=2134.829/2573.817
=0.82944087

Asset Turnover (Last Year)=Revenue/Total Assets at the Beginning of Last Year (Mar24)
=2123.345/2728.596
=0.77818226

Deluxe's asset turnover of this year was 0.82944087. Deluxe's asset turnover of last year was 0.77818226. ==> This year's asset turnover is higher. ==> Score 1.

Evaluation

Piotroski F-Score= Que. 1+ Que. 2+ Que. 3+Que. 4+Que. 5+Que. 6+Que. 7+Que. 8+Que. 9
=1+1+1+1+1+1+0+0+1
=7

Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3

Deluxe has an F-score of 7. It is a good or high score, which usually indicates a very healthy situation.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Piotroski F-Score →
What does a Piotroski F-Score of 7 mean?
Deluxe (DLX) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7 as of Jun. 25, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Deluxe and its competitors. This is 40% above median its historical median of 5.00. Over the past decade, Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Deluxe ranks #58 out of 556 companies in the Conglomerates industry, placing it in the top 10.4%.
Is Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Deluxe's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 40% above median its 10-year median of 5.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 8.00. The Conglomerates industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Deluxe's value of 7 is 40% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Deluxe ranks #58 out of 556 companies in the Conglomerates industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Deluxe has a GF Score™ of 69/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Deluxe's Piotroski F-Score compare to AIAI and CODI?
According to the Conglomerates industry distribution chart, Deluxe ranks #58 out of 556 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Deluxe in the top 10% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Deluxe's value of 7 is 40% above this benchmark. Historically, Deluxe's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 3.00 to 8.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 5.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Deluxe has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for a Conglomerates company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Conglomerates companies is 5.00, based on 556 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Deluxe's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 40% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Deluxe and its competitors. For the Conglomerates industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Deluxe's current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is 40% above median its own 10-year median of 5.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Deluxe stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Deluxe (DLX) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $18.38, compared to a current price of $23.50 — trading 27.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is 40% above median its 10-year median of 5.00 and 40% above the Conglomerates industry median of 5.00. Deluxe's overall GF Score™ is 69/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Deluxe (DLX), the current Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Deluxe (DLX) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Deluxe stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $23.50 is trading 27.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $18.38. GuruFocus considers Deluxe to be Modestly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for DLX:

  • Piotroski F-Score: 7 (40% above median its 10-year median of 5.00)
  • GF Value™: $18.38 vs. price of $23.50 (27.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 69/100 with 3 warning signs
  • Industry Position: 40% above the Conglomerates median (#58 of 556)

No single metric tells the full story. See the DLX stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Deluxe Business Description

Other Exchanges DL8:Germany
Address 801 S. Marquette Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 55402-2807
Deluxe Corp is principally a payments and data company. Its reportable segments are: Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print. Maximum revenue is derived from its Print segment, which provides printed personal and business checks, business essentials, as well as branded promotional, print, apparel, and digital storefront solutions. The Merchant Services segment provides electronic credit and debit card authorization, payment systems, and processing services. The B2B segment offers treasury management solutions, integrated accounts payable disbursements, and fraud and security services, and the Data Solutions segment offers data, analytics, and marketing services, as well as financial institution profitability reporting and business incorporation services.
69GF Score

Get the complete analysis for DLX

Piotroski F-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$23.50
Price
$18.38
GF Value