Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) issued its earnings results on Wednesday. The credit services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.05 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. Equifax had a net margin of 10.87% and a return on equity of 19.27%. The company had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.12 EPS. Equifax’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equifax updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.300-8.700 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.630-1.730 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Equifax’s conference call:

• Equifax closed 2025 with strong results — $6.075B revenue, $7.65 EPS, and $1.13B free cash flow with 120% cash conversion — and provided 2026 guidance targeting >$1B free cash flow, ~10% reported revenue growth and EPS of $8.50 at the midpoint.
• The sharp increase in FICO mortgage royalties (a zero-margin pass-through) materially inflates reported revenue while reducing reported EBITDA margins (over 200 bps headwind in 2026), so management will report ex‑FICO metrics to show underlying performance.
• Cloud and AI investments are being monetized — ~90% of revenue on the Equifax Cloud, all 2025 new models built on EFX.AI, a record 15% annual New Product Vitality and early traction for Twin Indicator (1,400+ mortgage customers), which management says will drive share gains and product lift.
• Workforce Solutions remains high‑margin and a growth engine (Q4 EWS EBITDA ~51%), with Twin data scale (200M active records) and a potential government tailwind from OB3 and new SNAP continuous-evaluation contracts that management expects to make the government vertical the fastest-growing business.

Equifax Price Performance

Shares of EFX traded up $4.60 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $195.61. 989,458 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,041,312. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Equifax has a fifty-two week low of $166.02 and a fifty-two week high of $281.03. The company has a market cap of $23.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.55. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $213.11 and its 200 day moving average is $228.02.

Key Headlines Impacting Equifax

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — EPS of $2.09 vs. street ~2.05 and revenue of $1.55B (+9% y/y); management issued FY‑2026 and Q1 guidance while citing revenue growth in Workforce and USIS. Equifax Q4 Earnings Beat, Revenues Jump 9% Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Management is steering revenue toward cloud/AI products — CEO highlighted AI-driven product innovation and 90% revenue on the new Equifax Cloud, which supports new product launches and efficiency gains. Equifax Says AI Tools Help Drive New Product Innovation
• Positive Sentiment: VantageScore and government segment momentum — company commentary and analyst notes point to growing traction for VantageScore products and a rebound in government work, supporting medium‑term revenue potential. Equifax sees Vantagescore traction build
• Positive Sentiment: Partnerships broaden product distribution — new partnership to deliver integrated consumer financial solutions could expand TAM and cross‑sell opportunities. Gen and Equifax Expand Partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts trimmed price targets after results but largely retained buy/overweight ratings, leaving meaningful upside in many models (new PTs range roughly $222–$265). This is a mixed signal: lowered expectations but still constructive views. These Analysts Cut Their Forecasts On Equifax After Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/political risk rose after senators accused Equifax of “price‑gouging” Medicaid programs — elevated scrutiny could pressure revenues from government contracts and create reputational/regulatory risk. Senators Accuse Equifax of ‘Price-Gouging’ Medicaid Programs
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged margin pressure and a cautious Q1 outlook despite the beat — investors should watch margins and guidance execution, which are the primary near‑term risk to valuation. EFX Q4 deep dive: AI-powered expansion and government momentum offset margin headwinds

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equifax

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,385,000. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Equifax by 8.1% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,533 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $393,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 3rd quarter valued at $10,990,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter worth $69,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on EFX. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Equifax from $240.00 to $215.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Equifax from $269.00 to $244.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $253.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group set a $230.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $240.33.

Equifax Company Profile

Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that specializes in consumer and commercial credit reporting, decisioning tools and identity solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax is one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States and provides credit information and related services to lenders, employers, governments and consumers worldwide.

The company’s offerings include consumer credit reports and scores, credit monitoring and identity protection services, and a range of business-oriented products for risk management, fraud detection and compliance.