Equifax, Inc. $EFX Shares Sold by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd reduced its stake in shares of Equifax, Inc. (NYSE:EFX) by 82.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 32,702 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 148,660 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Equifax were worth $5,801,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in EFX. Modera Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Equifax by 13.2% during the first quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,444 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Equifax by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 20,235 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,644,000 after acquiring an additional 901 shares during the last quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax in the first quarter valued at about $444,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Equifax by 14.1% in the first quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 22,355 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,025,000 after purchasing an additional 2,758 shares during the period. Finally, Checchi Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Equifax during the first quarter worth about $209,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equifax Price Performance

Equifax stock opened at $180.78 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $165.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $183.71. The company has a market capitalization of $21.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.32. 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 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.61.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The credit services provider reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.17. Equifax had a net margin of 11.12% and a return on equity of 20.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.53 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Equifax, Inc. will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were given a dividend of $0.56 per share. This represents a $2.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Equifax

In related news, EVP Chad M. Borton sold 2,455 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.89, for a total transaction of $426,899.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 29,518 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,132,885.02. This represents a 7.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark W. Begor sold 37,791 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.40, for a total value of $6,515,168.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 271,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,846,252. This trade represents a 12.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on EFX shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their target price on shares of Equifax from $226.00 to $214.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Equifax from $250.00 to $225.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Equifax from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Equifax from $250.00 to $245.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.39.

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.