Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Hits New 12-Month Low – Here’s What Happened

Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $153.91 and last traded at $159.1230, with a volume of 2529911 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $166.06.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus raised Equifax to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of Equifax from $210.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Equifax from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Equifax from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Equifax has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $226.67.

Equifax Stock Down 4.2%

The firm has a market cap of $18.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.01, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.61. The business’s 50-day moving average is $173.47 and its 200-day moving average is $193.38.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The credit services provider reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.17. Equifax had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 20.41%. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.53 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equifax has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.340-8.740 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Equifax, Inc. will post 8.57 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Equifax’s payout ratio is presently 39.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Equifax news, EVP Chad M. Borton sold 2,455 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.89, for a total value of $426,899.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 29,518 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,132,885.02. The trade was a 7.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.40, for a total value of $6,515,168.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 271,730 shares in the company, valued at $46,846,252. This represents a 12.21% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Equifax by 612.5% during the 4th quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 114 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Equifax

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.