EFX
ESEN Institutional Research
EFX Systematic Research
Equifax Inc operates in the professional services sector with an $18.9 billion market cap, currently trading at $158.72—a significant 42% below its 52-week high of $275.91. This valuation compression presents an unusual profile: systematic screening shows the company delivering robust operational performance with 9.55% revenue growth and 15.91% EPS expansion, yet equity markets have repriced shares substantially lower from recent peaks.
The fundamental model highlights several distinctive characteristics. The company demonstrates solid profitability metrics with ROE at 14.57% and net margin of 11.12%, while maintaining a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.46x—reasonable relative to the double-digit earnings growth trajectory. Gross margin of 56.12% reflects the high-value nature of credit information and analytics services, though operating margin compression to 18.26% indicates ongoing investment in technology infrastructure and regulatory compliance following past cybersecurity challenges.
Key strengths from quantitative screening:
- Revenue and earnings momentum both approaching mid-teens percentages, indicating sustained demand for data analytics services
- Price-to-book ratio of 5.77x reflects intangible asset value in proprietary databases and consumer credit information
- Beta of 1.3 suggests moderate cyclical sensitivity aligned with lending market activity
Risk factors flagged by systematic analysis:
- Current ratio of 0.6 signals tight short-term liquidity positioning that warrants monitoring
- Debt-to-equity at 1.11 represents elevated leverage, though manageable given cash generation capabilities
Relative to peers VRSK and ULS, Equifax's price-to-sales ratio of 2.94x positions the equity in mid-range valuation territory within the credit information services space.
Analysis updated monthly based on systematic screening of fundamentals, profitability, growth, and peer positioning.