Ballentine Partners LLC Increases Position in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Ballentine Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) by 9.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,392 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC’s holdings in Equifax were worth $355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Intact Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 3rd quarter valued at $73,000. Finally, Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc bought a new position in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter valued at $85,000. Institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Equifax Price Performance

EFX stock opened at $268.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $33.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.72, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $258.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $274.01. Equifax Inc. has a 52-week low of $213.02 and a 52-week high of $309.63.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on EFX shares. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Equifax from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Equifax from $315.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Equifax in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $360.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Equifax from $305.00 to $284.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $311.12.

Insider Transactions at Equifax

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

Equifax 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.