Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Argus

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) was upgraded by investment analysts at Argus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday, Briefing.com reports. The firm currently has a $200.00 target price on the credit services provider’s stock. Argus’ target price would suggest a potential upside of 13.99% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on EFX. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Equifax from $210.00 to $185.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised Equifax from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $214.00 to $235.00 in a report on Friday, August 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their target price on Equifax from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Equifax from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Equifax from $225.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.00.

Equifax Price Performance

EFX opened at $175.46 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $166.87 and a 200-day moving average of $169.88. The company has a market capitalization of $20.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.35, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.35. Equifax has a 1-year low of $137.01 and a 1-year high of $238.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The credit services provider reported $2.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.06. Equifax had a net margin of 11.27% and a return on equity of 22.48%. The business had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.04 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Equifax will post 8.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Equifax news, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.96, for a total value of $845,820.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 69,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,979,577.80. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark Begor sold 37,791 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.16, for a total value of $6,506,098.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 271,890 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $46,808,582.40. The trade was a 12.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EFX. Raiffeisen Bank International AG grew its holdings in Equifax by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 3,590 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $569,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in Equifax by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,730 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV raised its stake in Equifax by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Droms Strauss Advisors Inc. MO ADV now owns 5,435 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $979,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in Equifax by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 13,647 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,457,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, Empirical Finance LLC boosted its position in Equifax by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 4,314 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $685,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. 96.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Equifax News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Equifax reported adjusted earnings of $2.26 per share, ahead of the $2.20 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 9.6% year over year to $1.69 billion, in line with forecasts. Lower selling, general and administrative expenses and AI-driven efficiency gains helped profitability. Equifax stock soars after Q3 earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Growth remains broad-based: Diversified Markets revenue grew 8%, and state-agency contract signings reached $550 million in annual contract value. Management also said consumer financial health remains generally resilient outside the mortgage market. Equifax: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst confidence improved: Needham raised its price target from $190 to $210 and maintained a Buy rating, citing potential upside from current levels. Equifax price target raised by Needham
• Neutral Sentiment: Credit demand is under pressure: An Equifax Canada survey found that one in four small-business owners have personally guaranteed business financing with their homes or other assets. The finding highlights continued borrowing demand but also rising financial risk among business owners. Small Business Owners Putting up Personal Assets
• Negative Sentiment: Mortgage weakness clouds the outlook: Equifax said U.S. mortgage transaction volumes declined meaningfully as interest rates rose. It issued fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $2.07-$2.17 versus the $2.21 consensus and revenue guidance of $1.6 billion versus $1.7 billion expected. Full-year revenue guidance of $6.6-$6.7 billion also trails the $6.7 billion consensus. Equifax Data Shows Mortgage Volume Slump

Equifax Company Profile

Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that provides information and services to help businesses, governments and consumers make informed financial and workforce decisions. The company is best known for its credit reporting activities, but its offerings also include identity verification, fraud prevention, income and employment verification, marketing services and risk management solutions.

Equifax provides consumer and commercial credit information, credit reports and related analytics to lenders and other businesses.