Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Receives Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reissued their buy rating on shares of Equifax (NYSE:EFX) in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $265.00 price objective on the credit services provider’s stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on EFX. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $230.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $269.00 to $244.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $240.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Equifax in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $265.00 to $240.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $231.00.

Equifax Price Performance

NYSE EFX opened at $178.44 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $21.53 billion, a PE ratio of 31.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.56. Equifax has a 52 week low of $166.02 and a 52 week high of $281.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $189.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $205.82.

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

Equifax Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th were issued a $0.56 dividend. This is a positive change from Equifax’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.44%.

Insider Transactions at Equifax

In other news, EVP Jamil Farshchi sold 6,213 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.81, for a total value of $1,216,567.53. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 41,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,035,259.16. This trade represents a 13.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.89, for a total transaction of $7,629,624.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 230,506 shares in the company, valued at $46,536,856.34. This represents a 14.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 49,671 shares of company stock worth $9,960,181. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Equifax by 6.0% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 392,560 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $100,703,000 after acquiring an additional 22,302 shares in the last quarter. Explore Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Equifax by 34.6% in the third quarter. Explore Capital Management LLC now owns 40,930 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $10,500,000 after acquiring an additional 10,530 shares in the last quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Equifax by 164.6% in the third quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 8,034 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after acquiring an additional 4,998 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Equifax by 27.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 767,982 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $197,018,000 after acquiring an additional 163,866 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its holdings in Equifax by 18.4% in the third quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 178,203 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $45,714,000 after acquiring an additional 27,740 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Equifax

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and record revenue; management credited AI product innovation and strong U.S. mortgage results that drove 14% revenue growth — a clear fundamental positive for growth and margins. Equifax Delivers Record First Quarter Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: Needham reaffirmed a Buy with a $265 target, signaling institutional conviction in the company’s execution and buyback/capital allocation strategy. Needham Reaffirms Buy on Equifax
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs lifted its price target (192 → 200) and kept a Neutral rating, a modest positive that reduces near-term downside risk from that shop. Goldman Sachs Raises PT on Equifax
• Neutral Sentiment: Company guidance for Q2 and FY2026 was reiterated/set in a range that overlaps street estimates (Q2 EPS 2.15–2.25; FY EPS 8.34–8.74). That kept expectations roughly intact but left room for investor interpretation. Earnings Release & Call Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Extensive earnings coverage and call transcripts are available (high visibility can amplify both upside and downside moves depending on next-quarter indicators). Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple firms trimmed price targets (Baird 250→245; Wells Fargo 240→230; Citi 256→238; Morgan Stanley 244→243). Those cuts — even when ratings were maintained — likely pressured the stock by reducing upside from some Wall Street desks. Baird Lowers PT on Equifax
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/geopolitical uncertainty (spike in rates after Iran tensions) clouds the mortgage outlook — the very end market that boosted Q1 — prompting investor caution despite the beat. Q1 Deep Dive: Mortgage Gains & Macro Headwinds

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.