Short Interest in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Rises By 7.7%

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,390,000 shares, a growth of 7.7% from the December 31st total of 2,220,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 987,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.4 days.

Insider Activity

In other Equifax news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of Equifax stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,045,781.83. The trade was a 4.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EFX. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Equifax during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Equifax by 98.7% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 151 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equifax during the third quarter worth $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

Equifax Price Performance

EFX stock traded up $0.23 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $267.75. 200,269 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 845,211. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $261.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $275.08. The company has a market cap of $33.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.51, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. Equifax has a 52-week low of $213.02 and a 52-week high of $309.63.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were issued a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 22nd. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EFX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $315.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a report on Monday, October 28th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Equifax from $290.00 to $333.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $310.41.

About Equifax

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.