KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New $10.79 Million Investment in Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 42,355 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $10,794,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Equifax in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Equifax in the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Spire Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Equifax by 98.7% during the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 151 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new position in Equifax during the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in Equifax in the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. 96.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Equifax Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE:EFX opened at $245.27 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $30.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.65. Equifax Inc. has a twelve month low of $213.02 and a twelve month high of $309.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $252.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $264.90.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12. Equifax had a net margin of 10.63% and a return on equity of 19.13%. Analysts anticipate that Equifax Inc. will post 7.58 EPS for the current year.

Equifax Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.64%. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EFX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BNP Paribas downgraded Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, March 14th. Wolfe Research downgraded Equifax from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $335.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Argus lowered shares of Equifax from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Equifax from $320.00 to $316.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equifax currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.56.

Equifax Profile

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.