Equifax Inc. (EFX)

Between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, Equifax's stock declined by 11.62%. As of October 3, 2025, the stock had a slight slip of approximately 0.3% in the preceding month. On April 22, 2025, Equifax announced its Q1 2025 financial results, reporting earnings of $1.53 per share, surpassing analysts' estimates. On July 22, 2025, the company released its Q2 2025 earnings, reporting $2.00 per share, exceeding consensus estimates, with total revenue increasing 7% on a reported basis and 8% in local currency compared to Q2 2024, leading to an adjusted 2025 revenue forecast. In July 2025, Equifax announced a 28% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share and authorized a new $3 billion four-year share repurchase program. On October 2, 2025, Equifax's shares dropped significantly, by 8.5%, after Fair Isaac (FICO) announced it would provide its consumer credit scores directly to firms. In early October 2025, Bank of America lowered Equifax's price target to $250.00, while Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Equifax's stock rating.

Credit card balances typically increase in the second and third quarters, with a larger increase in the fourth quarter due to holiday spending, and a subsequent reduction in the first quarter. Demand for loans generally peaks in the spring and summer months, then declines to lows in December, January, and February. There is a seasonal increase in demand for a larger workforce, particularly in the retail sector, as businesses prepare for the holiday season, leading to a corresponding spike in the need for pre-hire verifications. Fraudulent activities also follow seasonal patterns, with January typically seeing a significantly higher fraud attack rate, March also experiencing a higher fraud attack rate, May showing an increase in application fraud, and overall fraud rates tending to pick up in the fall, peaking in October.

Equifax, Inc. is a global data, analytics, and technology company operating in the Finance sector, specifically in the Finance: Consumer Services industry. It assists financial institutions, businesses, employers, and government agencies in making informed decisions using extensive databases of consumer and business information. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), which provides information solutions to U.S. businesses; International, which offers similar products and services tailored to international markets; and Workforce Solutions, which provides employment and income verification services. Major products and services include credit reporting, credit scoring, mortgage reporting, identity verification, fraud detection and prevention, and employment and income verification.

Equifax has a significant global presence, operating in over 24 countries across four main regions: North America (United States and Canada), Asia Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, and India), Europe (United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal), and Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay).

Equifax's brand reputation was significantly impacted by the 2017 cybersecurity incident, where personal data of approximately 143 million consumers was stolen, tarnishing the company's image and credibility. In the past year, Equifax has undertaken efforts to reinforce its commitment to cybersecurity, releasing its 2024 Security Annual Report on March 27, 2025. The October 2025 announcement by FICO regarding direct provision of credit scores to lenders, which led to a notable drop in Equifax's stock, could also influence public and market perception of Equifax's competitive standing and, by extension, its brand reputation.

Approximately 60.46% of Equifax's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 0.49% by Insiders, and 39.05% by Public Companies and Individual Investors. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc., Capital International Investors, BlackRock, Inc., Price T Rowe Associates Inc /md/, Harris Associates L P, State Street Corp., Morgan Stanley, Massachusetts Financial Services Co /ma/, State Street Global Advisors, Inc., Geode Capital Management, LLC, and Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC.