North Star Asset Management Inc. Purchases 1,410 Shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Key Points

• North Star Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Equifax, Inc. by 1.3%, owning approximately 112,875 shares valued at $27.5 million, making it the firm's 23rd largest position.
• Several hedge funds significantly increased their stakes in Equifax, with Lazard Asset Management's holdings rising by over 7,883,000% in the fourth quarter.
• Equifax's latest quarterly earnings showed a profit of $2.00 EPS, surpassing analyst expectations, with a revenue increase of 7.4% year-over-year.

North Star Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 112,875 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 1,410 shares during the quarter. Equifax accounts for 1.3% of North Star Asset Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. North Star Asset Management Inc. owned 0.09% of Equifax worth $27,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFX. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in Equifax during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its holdings in shares of Equifax by 505.0% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Finally, City Holding Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. 96.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 48,264 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.71, for a total value of $11,665,891.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 142,872 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,533,591.12. This trade represents a 25.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP John W. Gamble, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.10, for a total value of $518,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 65,176 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,887,101.60. This trade represents a 2.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Equifax Trading Down 0.8%

EFX traded down $2.00 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $240.10. 1,169,920 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,053,951. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.60. Equifax, Inc. has a 1-year low of $199.98 and a 1-year high of $309.63. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $259.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $252.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.51 billion. Equifax had a return on equity of 18.89% and a net margin of 10.95%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.82 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Equifax, Inc. will post 7.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EFX. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a report on Friday, June 20th. Barclays reduced their target price on Equifax from $260.00 to $240.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Equifax from $277.00 to $295.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Equifax from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $285.00.

Equifax 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.