Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Stock Position Lowered by Inspire Investing LLC

Inspire Investing LLC trimmed its position in shares of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) by 34.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,089 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 572 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in Equifax were worth $264,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Equifax by 76.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equifax in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax in the first quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Equifax by 138.2% during the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 131 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. 96.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Equifax Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EFX opened at $300.33 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $37.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 66.89, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $289.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $259.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. Equifax Inc. has a twelve month low of $159.95 and a twelve month high of $309.63.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The credit services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.42 billion. Equifax had a net margin of 10.67% and a return on equity of 18.88%. Equifax’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.71 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Equifax Inc. will post 7.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.74%.

Insider Activity at Equifax

In other news, EVP Carla Chaney sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $281.85, for a total transaction of $845,550.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,875 shares in the company, valued at $3,065,118.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.57% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on EFX shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Equifax from $277.00 to $307.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Equifax from $273.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Equifax from $255.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Barclays raised their price target on Equifax from $300.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on Equifax from $305.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $302.06.

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.