Amundi Buys 231,237 Shares of Equifax, Inc. $EFX

Key Points

• Amundi increased its Equifax stake by 53.5% in the first quarter, adding 231,237 shares to own 663,565 shares valued at approximately $119.5 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 96.2% of Equifax’s outstanding stock.
• Equifax reported quarterly EPS of $2.25, exceeding estimates by $0.05, while revenue rose 10.6% year over year to $1.70 billion. The company also maintained a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share, equivalent to a 1.3% yield.
• Analysts retain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $215.79, although several firms recently lowered their targets. Equifax’s CEO and an executive vice president sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans.

Amundi increased its stake in Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) by 53.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 663,565 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 231,237 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned approximately 0.56% of Equifax worth $119,488,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFX. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its holdings in Equifax by 612.5% in the 4th quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 114 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in Equifax during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Equifax during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Equifax during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.20% of the company's stock.

Equifax Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:EFX opened at $173.04 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average is $167.68 and its 200-day moving average is $181.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. Equifax, Inc. has a 52 week low of $150.74 and a 52 week high of $271.84. The company has a market capitalization of $20.33 billion, a PE ratio of 30.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.32.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The credit services provider reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.05. Equifax had a net margin of 10.73% and a return on equity of 21.61%. The firm had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.00 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equifax has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.390-8.690 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Equifax, Inc. will post 8.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a $0.56 dividend. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Equifax's payout ratio is presently 39.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EFX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays decreased their target price on Equifax from $215.00 to $200.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Equifax from $222.00 to $210.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $208.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $220.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Equifax from $220.00 to $212.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equifax presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $215.79.

Insider Activity at Equifax

In related news, EVP Chad M. Borton sold 2,455 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.89, for a total transaction of $426,899.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 29,518 shares in the company, valued at $5,132,885.02. This represents a 7.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.16, for a total value of $6,506,098.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 271,890 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $46,808,582.40. The trade was a 12.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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