Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fifteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $310.41.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on EFX. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Equifax from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Equifax in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Equifax from $290.00 to $333.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Equifax from $321.00 to $313.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Equifax from $315.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th.

Equifax Stock Performance

NYSE EFX opened at $247.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Equifax has a 1-year low of $213.02 and a 1-year high of $309.63. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $274.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.62 billion, a PE ratio of 54.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.58.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12. Equifax had a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 18.56%. On average, research analysts predict that Equifax will post 7.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.63%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.67%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,697 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,045,781.83. This trade represents a 4.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.57% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Equifax in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Equifax during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in Equifax by 98.7% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 151 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Equifax in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.