Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $215.29, but opened at $241.27. Equifax shares last traded at $239.20, with a volume of 212,142 shares trading hands.

The credit services provider reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.08. Equifax had a net margin of 10.63% and a return on equity of 19.13%. The firm had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.41 billion.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Equifax’s payout ratio is 32.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on EFX. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Equifax from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $300.00 target price for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. BNP Paribas downgraded Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, March 14th. Argus cut Equifax from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $286.00 to $279.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of Equifax in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Equifax has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $292.31.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equifax

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Equifax by 70.3% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 10,187 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,481,000 after purchasing an additional 4,204 shares during the last quarter. Burt Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Equifax by 37.8% in the first quarter. Burt Wealth Advisors now owns 1,520 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $370,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the last quarter. Praxis Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Equifax by 7.7% during the first quarter. Praxis Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,080 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $750,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Canoe Financial LP purchased a new stake in Equifax in the 1st quarter worth approximately $360,000. Finally, Riverwater Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Equifax by 19.0% in the first quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 1,796 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $437,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. 96.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equifax Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $30.67 billion, a PE ratio of 50.88, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.65. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $235.98 and its 200-day moving average is $254.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

About Equifax

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.