Thursday's Small-Cap Winners & Losers

Deluxe(DLX Quote) was on of Thursday's small-cap winners when the Shoreview, Minn.-based check printer raised its third-quarter and full-year guidance.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company now expects earnings to range from 59 cents to 61 cents a share, up from earlier guidance of 41 cents to 45 cents a share. Revenue is expected to be about $398 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are calling for earnings of 44 cents a share on revenue of $399.15 million.

Deluxe said the updated guidance reflects the impact of better-than-expected operating performance in each of the company's three business segments, due primarily to lower manufacturing costs and selling, general and administrative expenses. Also, the company expects a lower tax rate to contribute 6 cents a share more in the quarter.

For the full year, Deluxe now expects earnings of at least $1.60 a share, up from earlier guidance of $1.41 to $1.51 a share. Analysts, on average, predict earnings of $1.45 a share. Deluxe is scheduled to report its quarterly earnings on Oct. 26. Shares were trading up $3.29, or 18.1%, to $21.50.

Heartland Payment Systems(HPY Quote) lost ground after the Princeton, N.J.-based company, which provides card payment processing services to merchants, was downgraded by Robert W. Baird to neutral from outperform. Shares were falling $1.77, or 6.52%, to $25.36.