Equifax Inc. Sees Significant Decline in Short Interest

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) experienced a noticeable decrease in short interest during the month of November. By November 30th, the total short interest was 2,070,000 shares, reflecting an 8.8% decline from the previous short interest of 2,270,000 shares reported on November 15th. With the current average daily trading volume at 1,020,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio stands at 2.0 days.

Changes in Analyst Ratings

Several research firms have provided updates on Equifax (EFX) recently. Goldman Sachs raised its target price for the company's shares from $277.00 to $307.00 while maintaining a "neutral" rating in a report dated August 20th. UBS Group began coverage on Equifax on October 1st, issuing a "buy" rating and a price target of $360.00. On October 18th, Robert W. Baird increased their price objective from $290.00 to $333.00, assigning an "outperform" rating to the company. BNP Paribas also upgraded Equifax from a "neutral" rating to "outperform," with a target set at $305.00. Meanwhile, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target from $305.00 to $284.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating in a report on November 20th. Overall, three analysts have rated Equifax as a hold, while fifteen have given it a buy rating, leading to a moderate buy consensus and a target price average of $311.39.

Equifax's Stock Performance

In midday trading on Tuesday, shares of Equifax traded up by $0.15, reaching a value of $273.65. The company had a trading volume of 1,878,381 shares compared to an average of 879,669 shares. Over the past year, Equifax's stock has seen a low of $213.02 and a high of $309.63. The company reports a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96 and both a quick and current ratio of 0.88. The 50-day simple moving average currently stands at $267.36, while the 200-day average is at $270.89. Equifax has a market capitalization of $33.92 billion and a PE ratio of 60.81. Analysts project a price-to-earnings growth ratio of 3.26, with a beta of 1.57.

Dividend Announcement

Equifax also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on December 13th. Investors who were on record as of November 22nd received $0.39 per share. This translates to an annual dividend of $1.56, representing a yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date was November 22nd, and the payout ratio for Equifax is currently at 34.67%.

Recent Insider Transactions

In other news regarding Equifax, Executive Vice President John J. Kelley III sold 1,000 shares of the company on October 25th for an average price of $272.92, resulting in a total transaction of $272,920. Following this sale, he still owns 11,269 shares valued at approximately $3,075,535.48, marking an 8.15% decrease in his holdings. Another insider, EVP Lisa M. Nelson, sold 551 shares on November 26th at an average price of $260.39, totaling $143,474.89. After this transaction, she holds 11,697 shares valued at $3,045,781.83, a 4.50% decrease in her position. In total, insiders have sold 59,855 shares valued at $16,187,044 within the past three months, with currently 1.57% of the stock being owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investment Activity

Many large institutional investors have adjusted their stakes in Equifax. State Street Corp increased its position by 1.1% in the third quarter, now owning 4,816,186 shares worth $1,415,284,000 after buying an additional 52,489 shares. Massachusetts Financial Services raised its stake by 4.9%, acquiring 4,276,798 shares valued at $1,036,952,000. Additionally, FMR LLC boosted its holdings by 37.4% in the third quarter, now owning 3,233,744 shares valued at $950,268,000 following the purchase of 880,162 shares. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management similarly grew their position by 2.4%, while Geode Capital Management increased its stake by 1.0% in the same time frame. Overall, institutional investors hold about 96.20% of Equifax's stock.

About Equifax

Equifax Inc. is a company that operates in data, analytics, and technology. It has three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment provides services to help customers verify income, employment, educational background, and compliance related to payroll and human resource management processes.

Equifax, Stocks, ShortInterest