Equifax (EFX) Declares $0.39 Dividend

Equifax said on February 2, 2023 that its board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share ($1.56 annualized). Shareholders of record as of February 21, 2023 will receive the payment on March 15, 2023. Previously, the company paid $0.39 per share.

At the current share price of $225.99 / share, the stock's dividend yield is 0.69%. Looking back five years and taking a sample every week, the average dividend yield has been 1.01%, the lowest has been 0.53%, and the highest has been 1.73%. The standard deviation of yields is 0.28 (n=236).

The current dividend yield is 1.11 standard deviations below the historical average.

Additionally, the company's dividend payout ratio is 0.27. The payout ratio tells us how much of a company's income is paid out in dividends. A payout ratio of one (1.0) means 100% of the company's income is paid in a dividend. A payout ratio greater than one means the company is dipping into savings in order to maintain its dividend - not a healthy situation. Companies with few growth prospects are expected to pay out most of their income in dividends, which typically means a payout ratio between 0.5 and 1.0. Companies with good growth prospects are expected to retain some earnings in order to invest in those growth prospects, which translates to a payout ratio of zero to 0.5.

The company has not increased its dividend in the last three years.

Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 8.78% Downside

As of February 4, 2023, the average one-year price target for Equifax is $206.15. The forecasts range from a low of $151.50 to a high of $241.50. The average price target represents a decrease of 8.78% from its latest reported closing price of $225.99.

The projected annual revenue for Equifax is $5,281MM, an increase of 2.00%. The projected annual EPS is $7.74, an increase of 33.20%.

Fund Sentiment

There are 1364 funds or institutions reporting positions in Equifax. This is a decrease of 23 owner(s) or 1.66%.

Average portfolio weight of all funds dedicated to US:EFX is 0.2625%, a decrease of 3.5685%. Total shares owned by institutions increased in the last three months by 2.90% to 144,258K shares.

What are large shareholders doing?

Massachusetts Financial Services holds 12,429,522 shares representing 10.15% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 12,546,483 shares, representing a decrease of 0.94%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in EFX by 0.76% over the last quarter.

T. Rowe Price Investment Management holds 5,025,464 shares representing 4.10% ownership of the company.

Capital International Investors holds 4,937,673 shares representing 4.03% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 2,864,877 shares, representing an increase of 41.98%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in EFX by 73.34% over the last quarter.

Generation Investment Management Llp holds 4,817,077 shares representing 3.93% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 4,653,882 shares, representing an increase of 3.39%. The firm increased its portfolio allocation in EFX by 5.67% over the last quarter.

VTSMX - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Investor Shares holds 3,650,269 shares representing 2.98% ownership of the company. In it's prior filing, the firm reported owning 3,603,106 shares, representing an increase of 1.29%. The firm decreased its portfolio allocation in EFX by 0.95% over the last quarter.

Equifax Background Information
(This description is provided by the company.)

Equifax Inc. believes knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, Equifax plays an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employees, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Its unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 11,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.

This story originally appeared on Fintel.