Voya Investment Management LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

Voya Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) by 5.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 55,990 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 3,498 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC's holdings in Equifax were worth $14,269,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Equifax during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Spire Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Equifax by 98.7% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 151 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new stake in Equifax during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in Equifax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company's stock.

Equifax Price Performance

EFX traded up $0.75 during trading on Thursday, reaching $260.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 773,605 shares, compared to its average volume of 965,219. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $237.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $253.40. The company has a market cap of $32.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.01, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.65. Equifax Inc. has a 1 year low of $199.98 and a 1 year high of $309.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 22nd. The credit services provider reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.08. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.13% and a net margin of 10.63%. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Equifax Inc. will post 7.58 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This is a boost from Equifax's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. Equifax's dividend payout ratio is 40.90%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on EFX shares. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Equifax in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Equifax from $313.00 to $284.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Equifax from $320.00 to $316.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Bank of America started coverage on Equifax in a report on Thursday, April 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $292.00.

Insider Transactions at Equifax

In other Equifax news, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 22,160 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.61, for a total transaction of $5,686,477.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 142,395 shares of the company's stock, valued at $36,539,980.95. This trade represents a 13.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

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.