Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Cut to “Hold” at Argus

Argus cut shares of Equifax (NYSE:EFX) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on EFX. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Equifax from $284.00 to $281.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Equifax from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Equifax from $304.00 to $283.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Wolfe Research cut Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Equifax from $290.00 to $333.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $301.69.

Equifax Stock Up 0.1 %

Equifax stock opened at $253.16 on Tuesday. Equifax has a 52 week low of $213.02 and a 52 week high of $309.63. The stock has a market cap of $31.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.41, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.58. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $260.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $274.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $2.12. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.13% and a net margin of 10.63%. On average, analysts expect that Equifax will post 7.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Equifax

In related news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.39, for a total transaction of $143,474.89. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 11,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,045,781.83. This trade represents a 4.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.57% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Equifax in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in Equifax in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its position in 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 buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR bought a new position in Equifax during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Equifax Company 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.