Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Upgraded to “Neutral” by BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Equifax (NYSE:EFX) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report released on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $310.00 price target on the credit services provider’s stock.

EFX has been the subject of several other research reports. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Equifax from $255.00 to $286.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Equifax from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Equifax to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Equifax from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of Equifax from $272.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $302.06.

Equifax Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of EFX stock opened at $302.19 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $286.18 and a 200-day moving average of $258.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Equifax has a 12-month low of $159.95 and a 12-month high of $309.63. The company has a market capitalization of $37.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 67.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.58.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The credit services provider reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.09. Equifax had a net margin of 10.67% and a return on equity of 18.88%. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.71 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Equifax will post 7.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.74%.

Insider Transactions at Equifax

In related news, EVP Carla Chaney sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.85, for a total transaction of $845,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,065,118.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.57% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in Equifax during the first quarter worth about $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Equifax in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Equifax by 76.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Equifax in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Equifax by 138.2% in the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 131 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. 96.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Equifax

Equifax Inc operates as a data, analytics, and technology company. The company operates through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment offers services that enables customers to verify income, employment, educational history, criminal justice data, healthcare professional licensure, and sanctions of people in the United States; and employer customers with services that assist them in complying with and automating payroll-related and human resource management processes throughout the entire cycle of the employment relationship.