Equifax (NYSE:EFX) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

04 Feb 2026, 14:58 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

Equifax (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.630-1.730 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.780. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.6 billion-$1.6 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.6 billion. Equifax also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.300-8.700 EPS.

Equifax Stock Performance

EFX stock traded up $7.57 on Wednesday, hitting $182.62. The company had a trading volume of 2,176,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,859,607. The stock has a market cap of $22.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.55. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $214.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $228.62. Equifax has a 12-month low of $166.02 and a 12-month high of $281.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82.

Equifax (NYSE:EFX – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The credit services provider reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.05 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.28% and a net margin of 11.08%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.12 EPS. Equifax has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.300-8.700 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.630-1.730 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Equifax will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Equifax Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 24th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 24th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Equifax’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on EFX. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on shares of Equifax from $271.00 to $266.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of Equifax in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Equifax from $295.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Equifax from $285.00 to $265.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Equifax from $245.00 to $234.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Equifax presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $271.14.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Equifax

Key Equifax News

Here are the key news stories impacting Equifax this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on both EPS and revenue: Equifax reported $2.09 EPS vs. consensus ~ $2.05–$2.04 and revenue of $1.551B (+9% YoY), driven by Workforce Solutions and USIS strength—this is the primary upside catalyst. Equifax Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Jump 9% Y/Y
Positive Sentiment: FY 2026 EPS guide is at or slightly above Street expectations (8.30–8.70 vs. consensus ~8.68), implying management sees continued full‑year profitability despite headwinds—supports medium‑term outlook. Equifax projects 2026 profit above estimates after quarterly results beat
Neutral Sentiment: Company provided detailed materials (press release, slide deck, conference call) for additional color on results and segment trends; investors should review slides/call for guidance drivers and margin commentary. MarketBeat: Equifax earnings and call materials
Negative Sentiment: Q1 2026 EPS guidance came in below consensus (1.63–1.73 vs. ~1.78), signaling near‑term caution and raising concerns about margin pressure and slower volumes in some end markets—this capped upside intraday. Equifax (EFX) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say
Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/policy risk: media reports that senators warned about alleged Medicaid profiteering have pressured sentiment, adding an external political/regulatory overhang investors will watch. Equifax stock slumps after senators warn against Medicaid profiteering

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Equifax

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EFX. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Equifax during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,385,000. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Equifax by 8.1% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,533 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $393,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Equifax during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $10,990,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Equifax in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in Equifax in the 3rd quarter valued at $69,000. 96.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Equifax

(Get Free Report)

Equifax Inc (NYSE: EFX) is a global data, analytics and technology company that specializes in consumer and commercial credit reporting, decisioning tools and identity solutions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax is one of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States and provides credit information and related services to lenders, employers, governments and consumers worldwide.

The company’s offerings include consumer credit reports and scores, credit monitoring and identity protection services, and a range of business-oriented products for risk management, fraud detection and compliance.