Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Stock Price Down 12.2% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares of Equifax were down 12.2%, trading as low as $173.83 and last at $174.77 on Tuesday, with about 1.39 million shares changing hands (roughly 17% below average) after a prior close of $199.17.
• Analysts remain mostly positive — the consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $271.14 — though several firms (Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer, Wells Fargo) have recently trimmed their targets.
• Key fundamentals: market capitalization is about $21.4 billion, P/E ratio ~33.2, and Equifax pays a $0.50 quarterly dividend (≈1.1% yield); institutional investors own roughly 96.2% of the stock.

Shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) dropped 12.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $173.83 and last traded at $174.7720. Approximately 1,390,710 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 1,678,469 shares. The stock had previously closed at $199.17.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EFX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Equifax from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Equifax from $285.00 to $265.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Equifax in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $271.14.

Equifax Trading Down 12.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $21.40 billion, a PE ratio of 33.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.55. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $215.01 and a 200 day moving average of $229.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.74.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 24th. Equifax's payout ratio is presently 37.95%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equifax

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EFX. Country Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of Equifax in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Equifax in the second quarter worth $31,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Equifax by 64.4% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 148 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co bought a new position in Equifax during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.20% of the company's stock.

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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