Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Upgraded at Argus

Argus upgraded shares of Equifax (NYSE:EFX) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has $200.00 price objective on the credit services provider’s stock.

EFX has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Equifax from $225.00 to $205.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Equifax from $235.00 to $217.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Equifax from $212.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $160.00 price objective on Equifax in a research note on Wednesday, September 30th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.00.

Equifax Stock Performance

NYSE EFX opened at $182.48 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $166.93 and its 200-day moving average is $170.01. Equifax has a 12-month low of $137.01 and a 12-month high of $238.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The firm has a market cap of $21.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.35.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The credit services provider reported $2.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.69 billion. Equifax had a net margin of 11.27% and a return on equity of 22.48%. Equifax’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.04 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Equifax will post 8.50 earnings per share for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st were paid a dividend of $0.56 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 31st. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Equifax’s payout ratio is currently 36.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Equifax news, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $187.96, for a total value of $845,820.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 69,055 shares in the company, valued at $12,979,577.80. This represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax in the second quarter worth $1,491,357,000. Soroban Capital Partners LP boosted its stake in Equifax by 310.5% during the first quarter. Soroban Capital Partners LP now owns 4,184,569 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $753,515,000 after buying an additional 3,165,120 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Equifax by 36.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,107,458 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $379,490,000 after buying an additional 563,880 shares in the last quarter. Generation Investment Management LLP purchased a new position in Equifax during the second quarter worth about $290,868,000. Finally, Cantillon Capital Management LLC grew its position in Equifax by 3.9% during the first quarter. Cantillon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,791,379 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $322,574,000 after buying an additional 67,381 shares in the last quarter. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Equifax

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Equifax reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $2.26 per share, exceeding the $2.20 consensus estimate, while revenue reached approximately $1.69 billion and increased 9.6% year over year. Coverage highlighted the company’s margin performance and earnings strength. Equifax Stock Climbs As Q3 Earnings Showcase Margin Power
• Positive Sentiment: Argus Research upgraded EFX from Hold to Buy and set a $200 price target. Wells Fargo and Citi also maintained Buy ratings, while Needham raised its price target, providing additional analyst support. Argus Upgrades Equifax
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has gained nearly 35% in October, its strongest monthly performance in available TradingView data, reflecting renewed investor enthusiasm following the earnings release. Equifax Goes From Its Worst Month on Record to Its Best
• Neutral Sentiment: Equifax Canada reported that one in four small-business owners have personally guaranteed business financing with homes or other assets. The survey underscores continued demand for credit information but also signals financial pressure among borrowers. Equifax Canada Small Business Survey
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $6.6 billion to $6.7 billion is below the $6.7 billion consensus, while fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $1.6 billion and EPS guidance of $2.07 to $2.17 trail estimates of $1.7 billion and $2.21, respectively. The weaker outlook is likely the main reason for the latest pressure on the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reduced fair-value expectations after trimming mortgage-growth forecasts, adding valuation pressure following the sharp October rally. Equifax Fair Value Cut

About Equifax

Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that provides information and services to help businesses, governments and consumers make informed financial and workforce decisions. The company is best known for its credit reporting activities, but its offerings also include identity verification, fraud prevention, income and employment verification, marketing services and risk management solutions.

Equifax provides consumer and commercial credit information, credit reports and related analytics to lenders and other businesses.