Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

by · The Cerbat Gem

Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 5,345,609 shares, a growth of 47.7% from the January 29th total of 3,618,696 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,119,945 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days. Approximately 4.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 4.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 3,119,945 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days.

Equifax Stock Performance

EFX stock traded down $0.53 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $207.50. 623,216 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,945,647. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $207.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $222.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. Equifax has a 52 week low of $166.02 and a 52 week high of $281.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.96 billion, a PE ratio of 39.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.55.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.05 by $0.04. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.27% and a net margin of 10.87%.The company had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.12 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equifax has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.300-8.700 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.630-1.730 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Equifax will post 7.58 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be 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 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 9th. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.59%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on EFX. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Equifax from $265.00 to $240.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Needham & Company LLC cut their target price on Equifax from $295.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $250.00 price target on Equifax in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group set a $230.00 price target on Equifax in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Equifax presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $240.33.

View Our Latest Research Report on Equifax

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.89, for a total value of $7,629,624.99. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 230,506 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,536,856.34. The trade was a 14.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jamil Farshchi sold 1,167 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.87, for a total transaction of $233,248.29. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,968,617.03. This trade represents a 2.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 49,671 shares of company stock valued at $9,960,181. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Equifax

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EFX. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in Equifax in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $206,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Equifax by 487.6% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 117,459 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $25,486,000 after purchasing an additional 97,468 shares during the period. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,144,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Equifax

(Get Free Report)

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.

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