Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Given New $243.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target on Equifax to $243 (from $244) but maintained an overweight rating, implying roughly a 26.3% upside to the current share price.
• Equifax posted a Q1 beat with $1.86 EPS vs. $1.69 expected and record revenue of $1.65B (up ~14%), and guided Q2 EPS to 2.15–2.25 and FY EPS to 8.34–8.74.
• Analyst consensus is a Moderate Buy (13 Buys, 5 Holds) with a $231 average target, while insiders — including the CEO and an EVP — sold about 49,671 shares (~$9.96M), reducing insider ownership to ~1.7%.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $244.00 to $243.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the credit services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price target would suggest a potential upside of 26.30% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on EFX. UBS Group decreased their target price 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. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $220.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Equifax in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Equifax has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $231.00.

Equifax Price Performance

EFX stock opened at $192.41 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Equifax has a 12 month low of $166.02 and a 12 month high of $281.03. The firm has a market cap of $23.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.56. The company's 50-day moving average price is $189.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $206.02.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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. Equifax had a net margin of 10.87% and a return on equity of 19.27%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.61 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.53 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, analysts anticipate that Equifax will post 8.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jamil Farshchi sold 1,167 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.87, for a total value of $233,248.29. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,968,617.03. The trade was a 2.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the company's 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 approximately $46,536,856.34. This trade represents a 14.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 49,671 shares of company stock worth $9,960,181 in the last quarter. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Equifax

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EFX. Maridea Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $281,000. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $358,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $1,098,000. Breakwater Capital Group bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $221,000. Finally, OP Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $2,352,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Equifax

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Equifax reported $1.86 EPS vs. $1.69 expected and record revenue of $1.649B (up ~14%), roughly $37M above the midpoint of February guidance; topline strength is a clear near‑term positive. Equifax Delivers Record First Quarter Revenue
• Positive Sentiment: Product/AI tailwinds — Management credited AI‑driven product innovation and strong cloud adoption (including a 38% jump in U.S. mortgage revenue) for the record quarter, supporting growth expectations if execution continues. Equifax Credits AI Tools for Record $1.6 Billion Quarter
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Needham reaffirmed a Buy and set a $265 price target (meaningful upside to current levels), citing operational outperformance and disciplined buybacks. That endorsement may underpin buyer interest. Needham Reaffirms Buy on Equifax
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call tone mixed — The call highlighted growth and strategic initiatives but management struck a cautious tone on the mortgage outlook and macro, making the beat less unambiguously bullish. Earnings Call: Growth, Caution And Cash
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious guidance and mortgage risk — Equifax maintained FY and Q2 guidance that sits around or slightly below consensus (Q2 EPS 2.15–2.25 vs. est. ~2.24; FY EPS 8.34–8.74 vs. est. ~8.60). Management flagged Iran‑related rate moves and potential mortgage market weakness, which prompted profit‑taking. Equifax stock slips after maintaining revenue guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst PT trim — Jefferies cut its price target from $240 to $220 (still a Buy), signaling some analyst caution on the near‑term outlook; incremental PT downgrades could weigh on sentiment. Jefferies Lowers PT on Equifax

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.

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