North Star Asset Management Inc. Takes Position in Equifax, Inc. $EFX

Key Points

• North Star Asset Management acquired 125,367 Equifax shares worth approximately $19.9 million, giving it a 0.11% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 96.2% of the company.
• Equifax exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $2.25 in EPS versus $2.20 estimated, while revenue rose 10.6% year over year to $1.70 billion. The company provided full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $8.39 to $8.69.
• Equifax declared a quarterly dividend of $0.56 per share, equivalent to a 1.2% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $216.89, above the reported $190.60 share price.

North Star Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 125,367 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $19,898,000. North Star Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.11% of Equifax at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Equifax by 49.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,638 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $927,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax during the 1st quarter worth about $204,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Equifax by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,523 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $615,000 after purchasing an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Equifax by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 7,632 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,979,000 after purchasing an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. raised its holdings in Equifax by 699.9% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 8,671 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,249,000 after buying an additional 7,587 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.20% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the chief executive officer owned 271,890 shares of the company's stock, valued at $46,808,582.40. This represents a 12.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Equifax Stock Performance

Shares of EFX opened at $190.60 on Friday. Equifax, Inc. has a 1 year low of $150.74 and a 1 year high of $271.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $22.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $174.70 and a 200-day moving average of $178.16.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The credit services provider reported $2.25 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 company had revenue of $1.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. Equifax's revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equifax has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.250 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.390-8.690 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Equifax, Inc. will post 8.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. Equifax's payout ratio is currently 39.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EFX has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $220.00 to $212.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Bank of America cut their target price on Equifax from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $243.00 to $225.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $245.00 to $232.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target 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. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $216.89.

Equifax Company Profile

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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