Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) Short Interest Up 7.7% in January

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

Equifax Price Performance

NYSE EFX opened at $265.92 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. Equifax has a 52 week low of $213.02 and a 52 week high of $309.63. The company has a market cap of $32.96 billion, a PE ratio of 59.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $261.32 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $275.08.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.59%. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas raised 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. Wolfe Research downgraded Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Equifax from $315.00 to $286.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Equifax from $290.00 to $333.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Equifax from $320.00 to $316.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Equifax currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $310.41.

Insider Activity at Equifax

In other news, EVP Lisa M. Nelson sold 551 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The shares were 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 represents a 4.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Equifax

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EFX. Howard Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Equifax by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 879 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $224,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Equifax by 1,334.0% in the 4th quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 674 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $172,000 after acquiring an additional 627 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Management Nebraska bought a new stake in Equifax in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $357,000. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Equifax by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Ipswich Investment Management Co. Inc. now owns 964 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT grew its holdings in shares of Equifax by 92.0% in the fourth quarter. Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc. CT now owns 10,997 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,803,000 after purchasing an additional 5,268 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.20% of the company’s stock.

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.