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DLX vs STGW
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Deluxe Corporation (DLX) vs. Stagwell Inc. (STGW) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- DLX and STGW operate in fundamentally different industries — payments and data services versus digital marketing and communications — creating a contrast between steady cash-flow generation and higher-growth, innovation-driven expansion.
- Deluxe Corporation delivered improving profitability in recent quarters, with full-year 2025 adjusted diluted EPS rising 12.6% year over year, supported by successful deleveraging and margin expansion across its payments and data segments.
- Stagwell Inc. posted accelerating momentum in its core digital business, with net revenue excluding advocacy services growing 9% in 2025 and its Marketing Cloud segment surging 230% year over year, alongside a doubling of free cash flow.
- DLX offers a dividend yield near 6.6% with a 25-year dividend growth streak, while STGW prioritizes reinvestment, stock buybacks, and acquisitions, appealing to different investor profiles.
- Relative valuation diverges sharply: DLX trades at a low single-digit price-to-earnings ratio reflecting its value orientation, while STGW commands a premium multiple based on its AI-driven growth narrative and expanding margins.
- Both companies exceeded earnings expectations in late 2025 and issued optimistic forward guidance, indicating management confidence despite distinct macroeconomic exposures.
Introduction
Investors navigating today's market face a recurring choice: favor a mature, cash-rich business undergoing a steady digital transformation, or bet on a faster-growing, technology-forward company riding secular tailwinds in artificial intelligence. DLX (Deluxe Corporation) and STGW (Stagwell Inc.) embody these two distinct investment profiles. DLX has evolved from a legacy check-printing firm into a diversified payments and data company, while STGW has positioned itself as a next-generation marketing network built around AI-enabled services and digital transformation. This stock comparison examines their recent performance, business trajectories, and market positioning to help traders and long-term investors assess which name might align better with their objectives in the current environment.
DLX Overview and Recent Performance
DLX (Deluxe Corporation) is a payments and data company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating through four primary segments: Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print. While the company's heritage lies in printed checks and business forms, its strategic pivot over recent years has increasingly emphasized electronic payment processing, treasury management, and data-driven marketing solutions. Deluxe reported full-year 2025 revenue of $2.13 billion, a modest 0.5% increase from the prior year, while comparable adjusted revenue rose 1.1% after excluding business exits. Net income surged 61.2% to $85.3 million, and comparable adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) grew 6.2% to $431.5 million. Adjusted diluted EPS reached $3.67, up 12.6% year over year. Importantly, the company achieved its leverage reduction target ahead of schedule, cutting total debt by $73.7 million and strengthening its balance sheet. Free cash flow increased by $75.3 million to $175.3 million. In recent weeks, the stock has traded with renewed strength, recovering sharply from mid-2025 lows, as improving fundamentals and a compelling dividend profile attracted value-oriented buyers. For 2026, management guided adjusted diluted EPS of $3.90 to $4.30 and free cash flow of approximately $200 million.
STGW Overview and Recent Performance
STGW (Stagwell Inc.) is a global marketing and communications network headquartered in New York City, operating across Integrated Agencies, Brand Performance, Communications, Digital Transformation, and the Stagwell Marketing Cloud — a suite of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) marketing tools. The company has made an aggressive strategic pivot toward AI applications and services, positioning itself as a technology-enabled challenger in the advertising industry. Stagwell reported full-year 2025 revenue of $2.91 billion, up 2% year over year, with net revenue growing 6% to $2.43 billion. Excluding its cyclical advocacy business, net revenue growth accelerated to 9%, and adjusted EBITDA excluding advocacy jumped 16% to $377 million. The Marketing Cloud segment delivered standout 230% year-over-year net revenue growth. Free cash flow more than doubled to $187 million, and last-twelve-month net new business reached $476 million, signaling strong competitive momentum. While GAAP net income remained thin at $29 million — translating to just $0.08 per share — adjusted EPS grew 5% to $0.83. The stock experienced significant volatility throughout 2025, falling approximately 25% for the year before rebounding sharply in early 2026 after a strong earnings report. The company announced a $350 million increase in its stock repurchase program and guided for 2026 net revenue growth of 8% to 12% and adjusted EBITDA of $475 million to $525 million.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
When placing DLX and STGW side by side, several contrasts emerge. In terms of business model, DLX is a payments and data infrastructure company generating predictable, recurring revenue from merchant services, B2B payment processing, and data solutions, alongside a gradually declining print segment. STGW, by contrast, operates a project- and retainer-based marketing services model where revenue depends heavily on client budgets, new business wins, and the health of the advertising cycle.
On growth dynamics, STGW holds a clear advantage. Its digital transformation and Marketing Cloud segments are expanding at double-digit and triple-digit rates, respectively, and the company's AI-centric narrative is resonating with clients and investors. DLX's growth is more measured — its Data Solutions segment delivered 46% organic growth in the third quarter of 2025, but the overall top line advanced only modestly.
Regarding profitability and cash returns, DLX commands the stronger position. With a 25-year dividend growth streak, a yield near 6.6%, and a price-to-earnings multiple in the low teens (or single digits on trailing GAAP earnings), DLX appeals to income-focused and value-conscious portfolios. STGW, while improving free cash flow and aggressively repurchasing shares, offers no dividend and trades at a significantly higher multiple of GAAP earnings, placing greater emphasis on future growth delivery.
Risk profiles differ meaningfully. DLX carries execution risk tied to its ongoing portfolio transformation and exposure to interest-rate-sensitive B2B spending. STGW faces cyclical advertising budget risk, integration risk from frequent acquisitions, and the challenge of converting its AI narrative into sustained GAAP profitability. STGW's beta of approximately 1.67 also signals considerably higher volatility compared to DLX.
Sector exposure provides another differentiator. DLX sits at the intersection of financial technology and business services, benefiting from secular trends in digital payments. STGW operates in the media and marketing communications space, where disruption from AI, changing consumer behavior, and platform shifts create both opportunity and uncertainty in equal measure.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable trend consistency, balance sheet quality, and earnings stability, Tickeron's AI-driven analytical framework would likely tilt in favor of DLX for risk-conscious positioning in the current environment. Deluxe Corporation's combination of a reliably improving earnings trajectory, successful deleveraging, robust free cash flow generation, and an attractive dividend profile presents a steadier, more statistically consistent pattern for algorithmic models to evaluate. The company's low valuation multiples provide an additional margin of safety that trend-following and mean-reversion algorithms often favor. That said, STGW exhibits stronger momentum characteristics in its core digital business, and AI models tuned for growth and volatility could find its accelerating net revenue, expanding margins, and substantial new business pipeline compelling — particularly if the stock sustains its early-2026 recovery. The probabilistic assessment is that DLX offers a higher-confidence, lower-volatility setup at present, while STGW presents a higher-upside, higher-uncertainty proposition that may reward those with a greater tolerance for near-term price swings.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is DLX is a Buy and STGW is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
DLX’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileSTGW’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- DLX’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- STGW’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
DLX’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while STGW’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DLX’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- STGW’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
DLX (@Industrial Conglomerates) experienced а -0.58% price change this week, while STGW (@Advertising/Marketing Services) price change was +13.88% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Industrial Conglomerates industry was -2.69%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -7.61%, and the average quarterly price growth was +4.63%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Advertising/Marketing Services industry was +5.73%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -7.32%, and the average quarterly price growth was -4.12%.
Reported Earning Dates
DLX is expected to report earnings on Aug 05, 2026.
STGW is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Industrial Conglomerates (-2.69% weekly)Industrial Conglomerates specialize in numerous types of products, most of which comprise industrial goods, while some also go towards meeting household needs. Honeywell (makes engineering services and aerospace systems), United Technologies Corporation(manufactures aircraft engines, aerospace systems, HVAC, elevators and escalators, fire and security, building systems, and industrial products, among others), 3M (over 60,000 products under several world-renowned brands, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, personal protective equipment, window films, paint protection films, dental and orthodontic products, electrical & electronic connecting and insulating materials, medical products, car-care products, electronic circuits, healthcare software and optical films).
@Advertising/Marketing Services (+5.73% weekly)Making a brand known to people, garnering more clients/consumers for its product and solidifying the brand’s position in an industry – all of these are essential to a company’s growth, and that’s where marketing/advertising come in as one of the key catalysts. Advertising industry is a global multibillion-dollar business of public relations and marketing companies, media services and advertising agencies – entities that help to connect manufacturers/producers with customers. Digital media has played a big role in the growth of global advertising, and agencies invest substantially to integrate advanced technologies into their business operations. According to some estimates, the U.S. advertising industry is expected to generate revenue of $52.6 billion by 2023, up from almost $40 billion in 2015 . Omnicom Group Inc., Trade Desk, Inc. and Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. are some of the major U.S. companies in the industry.
| DLX | STGW | DLX / STGW | |
| Capitalization | 1.18B | 2.07B | 57% |
| EBITDA | 404M | 385M | 105% |
| Gain YTD | 18.608 | 72.802 | 26% |
| P/E Ratio | 11.45 | 140.83 | 8% |
| Revenue | 2.14B | 3.04B | 70% |
| Total Cash | 27.2M | 109M | 25% |
| Total Debt | 1.45B | 1.71B | 85% |
DLX | STGW | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 23 | 46 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 3 Undervalued | 86 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 76 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 55 | 90 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 47 | 37 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 65 | 9 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
DLX's Valuation (3) in the Commercial Printing Or Forms industry is significantly better than the same rating for STGW (86) in the Advertising Or Marketing Services industry. This means that DLX’s stock grew significantly faster than STGW’s over the last 12 months.
STGW's Profit vs Risk Rating (76) in the Advertising Or Marketing Services industry is in the same range as DLX (100) in the Commercial Printing Or Forms industry. This means that STGW’s stock grew similarly to DLX’s over the last 12 months.
DLX's SMR Rating (55) in the Commercial Printing Or Forms industry is somewhat better than the same rating for STGW (90) in the Advertising Or Marketing Services industry. This means that DLX’s stock grew somewhat faster than STGW’s over the last 12 months.
STGW's Price Growth Rating (37) in the Advertising Or Marketing Services industry is in the same range as DLX (47) in the Commercial Printing Or Forms industry. This means that STGW’s stock grew similarly to DLX’s over the last 12 months.
STGW's P/E Growth Rating (9) in the Advertising Or Marketing Services industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DLX (65) in the Commercial Printing Or Forms industry. This means that STGW’s stock grew somewhat faster than DLX’s over the last 12 months.
| DLX | STGW | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 78% | 4 days ago 73% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 76% | 4 days ago 85% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 67% | 4 days ago 73% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | 4 days ago 69% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 68% | 4 days ago 78% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 65% | 4 days ago 73% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 66% | 5 days ago 76% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 68% | 13 days ago 81% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 78% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 59% | 4 days ago 74% |
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DLX and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DLX has been loosely correlated with ZD. These tickers have moved in lockstep 58% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if DLX jumps, then ZD could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To DLX | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLX | 100% | -0.42% | ||
| ZD - DLX | 58% Loosely correlated | +0.89% | ||
| CCO - DLX | 49% Loosely correlated | +0.41% | ||
| CMPR - DLX | 47% Loosely correlated | +4.22% | ||
| WPP - DLX | 46% Loosely correlated | -1.22% | ||
| MGNI - DLX | 44% Loosely correlated | -0.46% | ||
More | ||||
STGW and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, STGW has been loosely correlated with DLX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 42% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if STGW jumps, then DLX could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To STGW | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STGW | 100% | -0.47% | ||
| DLX - STGW | 42% Loosely correlated | -0.42% | ||
| NEXN - STGW | 37% Loosely correlated | -1.91% | ||
| CMPR - STGW | 36% Loosely correlated | +4.22% | ||
| DV - STGW | 35% Loosely correlated | +1.90% | ||
| NCMI - STGW | 34% Loosely correlated | +0.25% | ||
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