Yahoo Finance Reasons to Retain Equifax (EFX) Stock in Your Portfolio Now
Equifax EFX is benefiting from acquisitions and diversified services, which are highly valued by its customers.
The company’s revenues for 2024 and 2025 are expected to improve 8.8% and 11.8%, respectively, on a year-over-year basis. Earnings are anticipated to increase 9.8% in 2024 and 29% in 2025. The company has an expected long-term (three to five years) earnings per share growth rate of 19.5%.
Equifax, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Equifax, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Equifax, Inc. Quote
Factors That Auger Well
Customers find Equifax’s offerings of great importance as they use the credit information and related analytical services and data to process applications for new credit cards, automobile loans, home and equity loans, and other consumer loans. The company uses advanced statistical techniques and proprietary tools to assess all available data, creating bespoke insights, decision-making solutions and processing services. This assists customers in understanding, managing and protecting their clients’ data, and making informed financial decisions.
Acquisitions have enabled EFX to provide a broad insight into consumer performance, financial status, capabilities of customers and market opportunities. The recent acquisition of Boa Vista Servico enabled the company to grow its presence in Brazil. Efficient Hire acquisition by the company, which is currently part of Equifax’s Workforce Solutions business unit, expanded EFX's portfolio of employer and HR-focused solutions This boosted its ability to allow clients to manage their hiring and employment needs efficiently.
Equifax provides diversified services to different industries, including finance, mortgage, consumer, employee and telecommunications. This broad client base is highly advantageous since it is beneficial for the company to mitigate vulnerabilities in any sector by capitalizing on strengths in others.
The expansion and fortification of its customer base is Equifax's strategic focus. It does so by actively delivering multi-data solutions, which involve data asset expansion and analytics capabilities enhancement. A combination of organic growth, strategic mergers and acquisitions, and collaborative partnerships helps in achieving this strategy of expansion.
Some Risks
Equifax's current ratio at the end of first-quarter 2024 was pegged at 0.73, lower than 0.77 in the year-ago quarter. A current ratio of less than 1 indicates that the company may have problems paying off its short-term obligations.
A considerable part of EFX's operations is conducted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, thus exposing it to the effects of foreign exchange rate fluctuations. Foreign exchange fluctuations have lowered the company’s top line by $51.2 million, $94.9 million and $50.4 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Equifax currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
A couple of better-ranked stocks from the broader Zacks Business Services sector are HNI HNIand Lightspeed POS LSPD.
HNI currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy). It has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 12%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
HNI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 67.5%, on average.
Lightspeed POS presently flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1. It has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 33.4%.
LSPD delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 191.7%, on average.
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Equifax, Inc. (EFX) : Free Stock Analysis Report
HNI Corporation (HNI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (LSPD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
