Morgan Stanley Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Stock Price

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) had its price objective dropped by Morgan Stanley from $244.00 to $243.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the credit services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 39.08% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on EFX. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Equifax from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Equifax from $240.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Equifax in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Equifax in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.00.

Equifax Stock Performance

Equifax stock opened at $174.71 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $20.80 billion, a PE ratio of 30.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $188.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $205.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.61 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Equifax has a 12 month low of $166.02 and a 12 month high of $281.03.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The credit services provider reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during 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 firm’s revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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 expect that Equifax will post 8.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Equifax

In related news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.89, for a total transaction of $7,629,624.99. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 230,506 shares in the company, valued at $46,536,856.34. The trade was a 14.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 4,500 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.72, for a total transaction of $880,740.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 58,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,532,018.12. This represents a 7.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 49,671 shares of company stock worth $9,960,181 over the last ninety days. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equifax

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in Equifax by 24.1% in the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 1,854 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $334,000 after acquiring an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Equifax by 107.6% in the first quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,425 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $797,000 after acquiring an additional 2,293 shares in the last quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. raised its position in Equifax by 49.7% in the first quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc. now owns 1,560 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $281,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its position in Equifax by 14.0% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 741,685 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $133,515,000 after acquiring an additional 91,294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maridea Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Equifax in the first quarter worth about $281,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Equifax

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: EPS $1.86 vs. $1.69 est. and revenue topped estimates, with management giving FY/Q2 guidance that supports continued growth — a primary reason analysts cite for conviction. Earnings Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Operational drivers: mortgage market gains and AI-driven productivity improvements were highlighted as offsets to macro headwinds — supportive for margin outlook and long-term growth. Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum/market spotlight: coverage notes Equifax gaining momentum within the NYSE Composite spotlight, which can attract flows and trading interest. Momentum Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts largely remain constructive: multiple firms reaffirm buy/overweight/outperform stances (Needham, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells, Baird), signaling continued confidence despite target trims. Analyst Note Citigroup
• Neutral Sentiment: S&P 500 sentiment is mixed, and that broader market noise is cited as a headwind to near-term strength in Equifax shares. Market Sentiment
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and reviews point to “decent performance” but flag macro uncertainty — mixed read for investors weighing earnings strength vs. macro risk. SA Review
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms trimmed price targets this morning (Baird 250→245, Wells 240→230, Morgan Stanley 244→243, Citigroup 256→238) — trims can pressure the stock even when ratings remain positive. Baird Goldman

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.