Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $267.45, but opened at $258.53. Equifax shares last traded at $255.46, with a volume of 205,567 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on EFX shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $305.00 price objective (up from $295.00) on shares of Equifax in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. BNP Paribas cut Equifax from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $265.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Bank of America began coverage on Equifax in a report on Thursday, April 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Equifax from $277.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $294.63.

Equifax Trading Up 0.8%

The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $259.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $253.30. The firm has a market cap of $31.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Equifax had a return on equity of 18.81% and a net margin of 10.68%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Equifax, Inc. will post 7.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. This is an increase from Equifax's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Equifax's payout ratio is currently 40.90%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 22,160 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.61, for a total transaction of $5,686,477.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 142,395 shares in the company, valued at $36,539,980.95. The trade was a 13.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.10, for a total value of $518,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 65,176 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,887,101.60. The trade was a 2.98% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EFX. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in shares of Equifax by 1,920.0% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 101 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its stake in shares of Equifax by 505.0% during the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 121 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company's stock.

Equifax Company Profile

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.