Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Receives $310.41 Average Price Target from Analysts

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $301.69.

Several research firms recently issued reports on EFX. Wolfe Research cut shares of Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Equifax in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Equifax from $321.00 to $313.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on Equifax from $340.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Equifax from $320.00 to $316.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.39, for a total transaction of $143,474.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,045,781.83. The trade was a 4.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Spire Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Equifax by 98.7% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 151 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Equifax in the third quarter valued at $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Equifax Trading Up 0.4 %

EFX opened at $248.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $261.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $274.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.58. Equifax has a 1-year low of $213.02 and a 1-year high of $309.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $2.12. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.13% and a net margin of 10.63%. Analysts expect that Equifax will post 7.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.30%.

Equifax Company Profile

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.