Equifax Inc. (EFX)
Equifax is a global data giant that helps lenders decide who to trust with a loan by keeping track of people's credit histories.
Is Equifax Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Strong position in a market with high barriers to entry. Worth weighing: Share price has been volatile over the last year. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Equifax Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Equifax Inc. fell as much as −51% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Equifax becomes the essential backbone for global digital identity verification.
Major data security issues lead to heavy fines and loss of trust.
What does Equifax Inc. do?
Equifax acts as a digital librarian for the financial world, collecting information on how people manage their debts and bills to create credit scores. They charge banks, car lenders, and employers for these reports when they need to check whether someone is a reliable borrower. Their fortunes hinge on the housing market, since fewer people applying for mortgages means less demand for their credit-checking services.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on income and value, and weakest on momentum.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 1.3% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 11% over the year
- !High P/E of 30 - big growth is already priced in
- Strong position in a market with high barriers to entry
- High gross margins indicate a very efficient business model
- Significant recent growth in earnings
- Momentum screens low (25/100)
- The risk of data breaches is a constant threat to the business
- Strict government regulations could limit how they use data
- New competitors using AI might offer cheaper alternatives
What do Equifax Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Equifax Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Equifax Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Equifax Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 1.3% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Equifax Inc.'s dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Equifax Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Equifax Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-20 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-21 | $2.20 | $2.25 | Beat +2% |
| 2026-04-21 | $1.70 | $1.86 | Beat +10% |
| 2026-02-04 | $2.05 | $2.09 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-10-21 | $1.94 | $2.04 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-07-22 | $1.92 | $2.00 | Beat +4% |
| 2025-04-22 | $1.40 | $1.53 | Beat +9% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Equifax Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 6 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Equifax Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong position in a market with high barriers to entry
- High gross margins indicate a very efficient business model
- Significant recent growth in earnings
- Share price has been volatile over the last year
- Business is heavily reliant on the health of the lending industry
- High sensitivity to interest rate cycles
- The risk of data breaches is a constant threat to the business
- Strict government regulations could limit how they use data
- New competitors using AI might offer cheaper alternatives
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major change in how credit scores are calculated by law
- A permanent shift away from traditional bank lending
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.