Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Invests $1.33 Million in Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. invested approximately $1.33 million in Equifax, acquiring 5,459 shares of the credit services provider's stock.
• Equifax reported strong quarterly earnings, with $2.00 EPS exceeding analyst estimates of $1.92, and a revenue of $1.54 billion.
• Recent analyst ratings show a mixture of opinions with target prices ranging from $240.00 to $289.00, indicating varied sentiment on Equifax's future performance.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 5,459 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,330,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Equifax during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Equifax during the first quarter worth $28,000. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its position 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. Finally, City Holding Co. acquired a new position in shares of Equifax in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 48,264 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.71, for a total value of $11,665,891.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 142,872 shares in the company, valued at $34,533,591.12. This represents a 25.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Equifax Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:EFX traded up $0.32 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $240.47. 1,018,693 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,056,549. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $257.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $252.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.06, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.64. Equifax, Inc. has a 12-month low of $199.98 and a 12-month high of $309.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The credit services provider reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.92 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.51 billion. Equifax had a net margin of 10.95% and a return on equity of 18.89%. Equifax's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.82 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Equifax, Inc. will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on EFX shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Equifax from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $294.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $305.00 price objective (up previously from $295.00) on shares of Equifax in a research report on Tuesday, June 10th. UBS Group cut their target price on Equifax from $315.00 to $278.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Equifax from $310.00 to $289.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research 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 assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $285.00.

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.