Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Cuts Stock Position in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its holdings in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) by 9.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,142 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 1,269 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Equifax were worth $3,094,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of EFX. Greenleaf Trust grew its stake in shares of Equifax by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 1,702 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $434,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC grew its position in Equifax by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 1,012 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $258,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC increased its stake in Equifax by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 817 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $208,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Equifax by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 879 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Equifax by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 799 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Equifax Trading Down 0.8 %

EFX opened at $243.48 on Wednesday. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average is $252.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $264.56. The company has a market capitalization of $30.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.41, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.65. Equifax Inc. has a 52 week low of $213.02 and a 52 week high of $309.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 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 forecast that Equifax Inc. will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Argus lowered Equifax from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Equifax from $321.00 to $313.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Equifax in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Equifax from $335.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Equifax from $320.00 to $316.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $298.56.

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.