Boston Financial Management LLC Increases Stake in Equifax Inc.

Boston Financial Management LLC has raised its stake in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX - Free Report) by 3.2% during the third quarter, according to its latest Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After acquiring an additional 3,370 shares last quarter, the firm now holds 107,593 shares of the credit services provider's stock. This represents approximately 0.09% of Equifax, valued at about $31,617,000 based on the most recent filing with the SEC.

Other Institutional Investments

Several other institutional investors have modified their positions in Equifax as well. Conning Inc. boosted its stake by 4.7% in the previous quarter, now owning 848 shares valued at $206,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares. Intech Investment Management LLC also increased its holdings by 1.2% during the same period, with a total of 3,726 shares worth $903,000 after an additional 44 shares were bought. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its stake by 13.5% in the third quarter, owning 371 shares valued at $109,000 after acquiring 44 more shares. Furthermore, Thompson Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings by 0.3%, totaling 15,464 shares valued at $3,749,000 after purchasing 45 additional shares. Greenleaf Trust added 3.0% to its stake in the third quarter, owning 1,665 shares worth $489,000 following the acquisition of 48 shares. Overall, institutional investors hold 96.20% of Equifax's stock.

Current Stock Performance

The stock for Equifax opened at $270.02 on Tuesday. The company displays a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.88, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. Equifax has experienced a 52-week low of $159.95 and a high of $309.63, with a market capitalization of $33.38 billion. The company has a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.14, a PEG ratio of 2.56, and a beta of 1.58, while the fifty-day moving average sits at $292.51 and the two-hundred-day moving average at $263.77.

Recent Earnings Report

Equifax released its quarterly earnings results on October 16th, reporting $1.85 earnings per share (EPS), which surpassed analysts' expectations of $1.84 by a slight margin. The company posted a net margin of 10.07% and a return on equity of 18.56%. Revenue for the quarter amounted to $1.44 billion, which met analysts' predictions, and showed a 9.3% increase compared to the same quarter last year, relative to an EPS of $1.76 from the previous period. Analysts forecast that Equifax Inc. will achieve an EPS of 7.29 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Information

Equifax has recently announced its quarterly dividend. Shareholders of record on September 3rd received a dividend of $0.39, which was paid on September 13th. This annualizes to a total of $1.56 in dividends, reflecting a yield of 0.58%. The company's payout ratio stands at 34.74%.

Insider Transactions

In other news, executive vice president Carla Chaney sold 3,000 shares of Equifax on August 7th at an average price of $281.85, resulting in a transaction valued at $845,550. Following this sale, Chaney holds 10,875 shares of the company, worth approximately $3,065,118.75. This transaction represents no significant change in her overall position according to the SEC filing. Corporate insiders collectively own about 1.57% of the company's stock.

Analyst Coverage and Future Prospects

A variety of analysts have recently published reports regarding Equifax stock. On October 1st, UBS Group initiated coverage on Equifax, assigning a "buy" rating along with a price target of $360.00. Wells Fargo reiterated a "buy" rating on October 18th, while Bank of America raised its price target from $255.00 to $286.00, also rating it as a "buy." Furthermore, Robert W. Baird increased its target price from $290.00 to $333.00, giving the stock an "outperform" rating on October 18th. BNP Paribas upgraded Equifax from an "underperform" to a "neutral" rating with a target price of $310.00 in a report released on September 19th. Currently, four analysts have rated Equifax with a hold, while sixteen have given it a buy rating, resulting in an overall average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a projected price target of $310.47.

About Equifax

Equifax Inc. operates as a data, analytics, and technology firm. It functions through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment specializes in services that help companies verify income, employment history, educational background, criminal records, healthcare professional licensing, and other background checks within the U.S. It also provides services to employers for payroll protections and HR management throughout the employment lifecycle.

Boston, Equifax, Investment