Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Shares Gap Down - Time to Sell?

Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $259.64, but opened at $244.76. Equifax shares last traded at $242.32, with a volume of 515,117 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on EFX shares. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Equifax from $277.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $305.00 price target (up previously from $295.00) on shares of Equifax in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. Barclays reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $260.00 target price (down previously from $325.00) on shares of Equifax in a research report on Friday, April 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Equifax in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $280.00 price target for the company. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $295.50.

Equifax Trading Down 7.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $264.05 and a 200 day moving average of $253.21. The company has a market capitalization of $29.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.16, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 1.60.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The credit services provider reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $0.08. Equifax had a return on equity of 18.81% and a net margin of 10.68%. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.82 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Equifax, Inc. will post 7.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 13th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a $0.50 dividend. This is an increase from Equifax's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. Equifax's payout ratio is 40.90%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Equifax by 1,920.0% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 101 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Equifax in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Equifax in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Equifax in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC increased its stake in Equifax by 505.0% in the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 121 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company's stock.

About Equifax

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.