Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $1.31B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 398.11K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 14.8
• Beta (1Y): 1.14
• Revenue Growth: -1.92%
• EPS Growth: 12.72%
• Country: US
• Employees: 1,800
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 81
• Industry: Capital Markets
• EPS (TTM): 3.06
• Shares Outstanding: 28,609,146
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 412,981
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 398,112
• PEG Ratio: 1.16
• Price to Book (P/B): N/A
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.63
• Price to Cash Flow (P/CF): 5.70
• P/FCF Ratio: 5.20
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: N/A
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: N/A
• 1Y Price Target: $72.00
• Price Target Upside: 59.68% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 2

Donnelley Financial Solutions' stock score is impacted by mixed financial performance, with strong cash flow and balance sheet offset by declining revenue and profitability challenges. Technical analysis indicates bearish momentum, and while valuation is moderate, the lack of dividend yield may deter income investors. Earnings call insights show strategic progress in software solutions but highlight ongoing revenue challenges.

Positive Factors

Business Pivot

DFIN continues to execute well and is steadily pivoting the business away from low-margin print revenue to more durable and profitable software solutions.

Risk-Reward Assessment

The shares trade at a fiscal year 2026 price-to-earnings multiple of 12.8x, a discount to peers, setting up a favorable risk-reward.

Software Revenue Growth

Software revenue grew at a healthy pace organically (11.6% Y/Y) and is now over 40% of revenue.

Negative Factors

Earnings Miss

DFIN's 4Q results missed Street expectations on the top and bottom line due to soft capital markets activity.

One-Time Costs Impact

Several one-time costs (i.e. accelerated amortization, impairment charge) were not excluded from adjusted EPS which further hurt the optics of the print.

Transaction-Sensitive Revenue

DFIN's 3Q results missed Street expectations, as weaker capital market and M&A activity pressured transaction-sensitive revenue lines.

Donnelley Financial Solutions Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. operates as a risk and compliance solutions company worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Capital Markets – Software Solutions (CM-SS), Capital Markets – Compliance and Communications Management (CM-CCM), Investment Companies – Software Solutions (IC-SS), and Investment Companies – Compliance and Communications Management (IC-CCM). The CM-SS segment provides Venue, ActiveDisclosure, eBrevia, and other solutions to public and private companies to manage public and private transaction processes, extract data, and analyze contracts; collaborate; and tag, validate, and file SEC documents. The CM-CCM segment offers tech-enabled services and print and distribution solutions to public and private companies for deal solutions and SEC compliance requirements. The IC-SS segment provides clients with the Arc Suite platform that contains a comprehensive suite of cloud-based solutions and services that enable storage and management of compliance and regulatory information in a self-service and central repository for accessing, assembling, editing, translating, rendering, and submitting documents to regulators. The IC-CCM segment offers clients with tech-enabled solutions for creating and filing regulatory communications and solutions for investor communications, as well as XBRL-formatted filings pursuant to the Investment Act, through the SEC EDGAR system. This segment also provides turnkey proxy services, including discovery, planning and implementation, print and mail management, solicitation, tabulation services, shareholder meeting review, and expert support. Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

How the Company Makes Money

DFIN generates revenue through a combination of software subscription fees, professional services, and transaction-based fees. The company offers a suite of SaaS products that clients subscribe to on a recurring basis, providing a stable revenue stream. These products include solutions for regulatory compliance, data management, and financial reporting. Additionally, DFIN earns revenue through professional services by offering consulting and expertise to assist clients in implementing and optimizing their use of DFIN's software solutions. Another key revenue stream comes from transaction-based fees associated with specific financial transactions, such as capital markets activities and regulatory filings. Partnerships with financial institutions and large corporations also contribute to DFIN's earnings, as these partnerships often lead to long-term contracts and increased adoption of its solutions.

Donnelley Financial Solutions Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Donnelley Financial Solutions exhibits a mixed financial performance. The company shows strong cash flow generation and a solid balance sheet, but declining revenue and operational margins pose profitability challenges. Strategic focus on revenue growth and cost efficiency will be crucial for improving future performance.

Income Statement

Donnelley Financial Solutions shows a mixed income statement performance. The gross profit margin remains strong at 100% due to a unique reporting structure. However, the net profit margin for 2024 is 11.82%, a decrease from 2023's 10.31%, indicating potential profitability issues. The revenue growth rate is negative for three consecutive years (2021-2023), highlighting a concerning decline in sales. EBIT margin turned negative in 2024, reflecting operational challenges, while EBITDA margin remains robust at 25.35%.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is stable with favorable equity growth and a decreasing debt load. The debt-to-equity ratio has improved to 0.32 in 2024, suggesting better leverage management. ROE is healthy at 21.18%, reflecting good return on equity. The equity ratio is 51.82%, indicating a strong capital structure with over half of the assets funded by equity.

Cash Flow

Cash flow performance is solid, with a free cash flow growth rate of 69.13% in 2024, indicating effective cash generation. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is 1.85, showing strong cash earnings support. The free cash flow to net income ratio of 1.14 further supports cash flow strength, although it indicates some reliance on non-operating activities.

Breakdown
Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement		Total Revenue
781.90M	797.20M	833.60M	993.30M	894.50M
	Gross Profit
484.00M	463.90M	463.40M	580.20M	398.50M
	EBIT
136.60M	110.00M	145.00M	219.30M	82.80M
	EBITDA
198.20M	192.00M	212.00M	290.50M	82.20M
	Net Income Common Stockholders
92.40M	82.20M	102.50M	145.90M	-25.90M
Balance Sheet		Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
57.30M	23.10M	34.20M	54.50M	73.60M
	Total Assets
841.60M	806.90M	828.30M	883.30M	865.60M
	Total Debt
141.40M	150.60M	213.90M	181.30M	301.30M
	Net Debt
84.10M	127.50M	179.70M	126.80M	227.70M
	Total Liabilities
405.50M	404.70M	498.80M	506.30M	617.80M
	Stockholders Equity
436.10M	402.20M	329.50M	377.00M	247.80M
Cash Flow		Free Cash Flow
105.20M	62.20M	96.00M	137.70M	123.10M
	Operating Cash Flow
171.10M	124.00M	150.20M	180.00M	154.20M
	Investing Cash Flow
-53.30M	-51.30M	-50.90M	-45.00M	-19.80M
	Financing Cash Flow
-82.10M	-84.60M	-121.10M	-154.90M	-77.50M

Donnelley Financial Solutions Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 45.09
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DFIN, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 45.09 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 45.44, below the 50-day MA of 55.20, and below the 200-day MA of 61.00, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -2.57 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 36.26 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 72.37 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for DFIN.

Donnelley Financial Solutions Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
CTSH	80 Outperform	$38.51B	17.49	16.21%	1.53%	1.98%	7.16%
G	80 Outperform	$8.84B	17.77	22.15%	1.21%	6.46%	-16.94%
ACN	75 Outperform	$193.38B	25.49	27.26%	1.79%	4.10%	9.78%
EPAM	69 Neutral	$10.06B	22.56	12.80%	―	0.80%	10.05%
Sector *	64 Neutral	$14.53B	10.25	8.67%	4.22%	16.51%	-12.20%
DFIN	61 Neutral	$1.31B	14.80	22.04%	―	-1.92%	12.72%
DXC	47 Neutral	$3.15B	267.98	-2.46%	―	-5.65%	78.20%

Donnelley Financial Solutions Corporate Events

Donnelley Financial Solutions Amends Credit Agreement and Appoints New Director

On March 13, 2025, Donnelley Financial Solutions amended its Credit Agreement to include a $115 million term loan A facility and a $300 million revolving facility, maturing in 2030, to refinance existing loans. Additionally, Charles D. Drucker retired from the board, and Ayman Sayed, CEO of BMC Software, was appointed as a new director, bringing extensive software industry experience to the board.