Carmignac Gestion Boosts Stake in Equifax, Inc. $EFX

Carmignac Gestion boosted its position in shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX) by 94.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 710,685 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after buying an additional 346,080 shares during the period. Equifax makes up about 1.4% of Carmignac Gestion’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Carmignac Gestion’s holdings in Equifax were worth $112,798,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new stake in Equifax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Equifax by 612.5% during the 4th quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 114 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Equifax in the third quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on EFX. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $182.00 price objective (up from $173.00) on shares of Equifax in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $245.00 to $232.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Equifax from $230.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Equifax from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane upped their price objective on Equifax from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $215.16.

Insider Activity at Equifax

In related news, EVP John Gamble sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.96, for a total transaction of $845,820.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 69,055 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,979,577.80. This trade represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Equifax Trading Down 3.0%

EFX stock traded down $5.27 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $171.78. 1,437,806 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,709,317. Equifax, Inc. has a one year low of $150.74 and a one year high of $271.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.18 billion, a PE ratio of 30.19, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $178.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $177.68.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The credit services provider reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.70 billion. Equifax had a net margin of 10.73% and a return on equity of 21.61%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.00 EPS. Equifax has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.390-8.690 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Equifax, Inc. will post 8.55 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Equifax’s payout ratio is 39.37%.

Equifax Profile

Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that specializes in consumer and commercial credit reporting, decisioning tools and identity solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax is one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States and provides credit information and related services to lenders, employers, governments and consumers worldwide.

The company’s offerings include consumer credit reports and scores, credit monitoring and identity protection services, and a range of business-oriented products for risk management, fraud detection and compliance.