Russell Investments Group Ltd. Increases Stock Holdings in Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Equifax by 13.6% during the 1st quarter, now owning 314,056 shares valued at approximately $76.48 million.
• Equifax reported $2.00 EPS for the recent quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates of $1.92, with revenue growth of 7.4% year-over-year.
• Most analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on Equifax, with a price target averaging $285.00, reflecting varied perspectives on the company's stock performance.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) by 13.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 314,056 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 37,554 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.25% of Equifax worth $76,480,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC grew 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 valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Equifax during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Equifax during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Colonial Trust Co SC grew its stake in Equifax by 505.0% during 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, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in Equifax during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equifax Trading Up 0.6%

NYSE:EFX opened at $241.07 on Wednesday. Equifax, Inc. has a 12-month low of $199.98 and a 12-month high of $309.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.64. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $255.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $251.52.

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

Insider Transactions at Equifax

In other Equifax news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 48,264 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.71, for a total transaction of $11,665,891.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 142,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,533,591.12. The trade was a 25.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Equifax from $277.00 to $272.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Equifax from $280.00 to $260.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Equifax from $315.00 to $278.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Bank of America lowered Equifax from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $285.00 in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $305.00 price objective (up previously from $295.00) on shares of Equifax in a research note on Tuesday, June 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average 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.

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