Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Upgraded by Gordon Haskett to Strong-Buy Rating

Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Equifax (NYSE:EFX) to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on EFX. Barclays reduced their target price on Equifax from $335.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Equifax from $340.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Equifax from $304.00 to $283.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Equifax in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Argus downgraded Equifax from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $301.13.

Equifax Price Performance

NYSE:EFX opened at $240.79 on Tuesday. Equifax has a 52 week low of $213.02 and a 52 week high of $309.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The company has a market capitalization of $29.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $258.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $273.21.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.13% and a net margin of 10.63%. Equities analysts expect that Equifax will post 7.57 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Equifax’s payout ratio is 32.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Equifax news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,045,781.83. This trade represents a 4.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Equifax

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Equifax during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of Equifax by 1,920.0% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 101 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its stake in shares of Equifax by 505.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 121 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. 96.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.