Equifax rises 11.3% after quarterly results lift revenue and adjusted EPS

Session of October 20, 2026 · Published October 21, 2026 · 4 min read

What happened

Equifax (EFX) rose 11.3% on October 20, 2026, because third-quarter results topped estimates and management highlighted contract wins, revenue growth and cash returns. The company reported third-quarter revenue of $1.693 billion, representing 10% reported growth and 9% in constant currency, with adjusted EPS of $2.26 against $2.20 expected, 2.7% above estimates. Management said diversified markets revenue grew about 8% year-over-year and highlighted $550 million in annual contract value from state agency signings. The company returned $158 million of cash to shareholders and said mortgage-related revenue was affected by a late-quarter weakening in the U.S. mortgage market, prompting a modest reduction to its 2026 outlook.

Closing price over the last 30 trading sessions. On October 20, 2026, EFX closed at $176.54, up 11.3% on the day and 5.0% higher than 30 sessions earlier.

How big was the move

The stock closed at $176.54 after opening 4.8% above the previous close. Trading volume was 2.0 times its 20-day average and the session move was 4.0 times a typical daily move for this stock. The move was 10.8 percentage points better than the Industrials sector median, while the S&P 500 rose 0.3% on the session. Over the last five sessions the stock rose 18.4% compared with the S&P 500's five-session decline of 1.2%, a company-specific reaction tied closely to the earnings release.

Each bar is one day's price change; the outlined bar is October 20, 2026. A typical daily move over the past year was 2.4%, so the latest move equals 4.6 times that. Moves outside the dashed lines (about 4.9%) are unusual.

The technical picture

The stock was 18.5% above its 20-day moving average and 5.7% above its 50-day moving average, while it remained 1.1% below its 200-day moving average. The 50-day average is below the 200-day average, a sign of a weak longer-term trend, even as short-term momentum pushed the Relative Strength Index (14 days) to 70 (above 70, a level often called overbought). Equifax is 26.1% below its 52-week high despite rising 11.3% over one month. Its three-month gain of 3.6% contrasts with a one-year fall of 22.2%, leaving it 37.9 percentage points behind the S&P 500 over that period. Volatility was 45% annualized over 60 days, higher than 89% of its own readings over five years, underscoring larger-than-normal price swings amid recent news-driven trading.

Closing price over the past year. EFX ends the period 24.5% below its 52-week high, above its 50-day average ($167.02) and below its 200-day average ($178.50).

Fundamentals and valuation

For the four quarters through September 30, 2026, revenue totaled $6.59 billion, which grew 10.9% from a year earlier, while diluted earnings per share were $6.19, which rose 17.5% versus the prior year. Gross margin was 55.2% (a year earlier: 56.3%) and operating margin was 18.8% (a year earlier: 18.5%). The company posted a free-cash-flow margin of 16.7% and return on invested capital of 7.9%. The balance sheet showed net debt of 2.5 times EBITDA, and share count over one year decreased by 4.8%, reflecting buybacks or retirements.

Quarterly revenue by period end. The latest quarter brought $1.7B, 9.6% more than the same quarter a year earlier.

The stock trades at 28.5 times trailing earnings and at 20.7 times expected forward earnings, with a free-cash-flow yield of 5.8%. Its price-to-trailing-earnings reading is lower than 90% of its own readings over the past five years (five-year median: 42.5 times earnings). Market value is $18.94 billion. The mix of recent revenue and profit gains with a valuation below its five-year median helps explain the sharp session reaction as investors weigh earnings strength against stretched near-term sentiment.

Earnings and analyst expectations

Equifax reported on October 20, 2026, with adjusted EPS of $2.26 versus $2.20 expected, marking the company's seventh consecutive quarter beating estimates and an average surprise of 4.1% above estimates over the last four reports. Typical two-day reactions after recent reports have been muted, with the stock rising 0.6% on average, but this session produced an outsized response because of the earnings release and management detail on contract wins and share returns. The next report is scheduled for February 3, 2027.

Diluted earnings per share by quarter. The latest quarter shows $1.79, against $1.29 in the same quarter a year earlier.

Thirty-six analysts cover the stock and the consensus rating is Buy, with 67% of ratings at Buy or Strong Buy. The consensus price target is $204.23, which is 15.7% above the closing price on October 20, 2026.

PromtFinance scores provide added perspective: Value ranks 74 (Positive), Quality scores 91 (Exceptional), Growth is 56 (Neutral) and Momentum is 40 (Weak). Those signals show strong fundamentals and quality metrics but relatively weak momentum heading into the report, which helps explain why a single strong quarter and upbeat management comments triggered a disproportionate market reaction.

What to watch

October 20, 2026: reported adjusted EPS of $2.26 against $2.20 expected, 2.7% above estimates
February 3, 2027: next scheduled earnings report
Net debt of 2.5 times EBITDA and free-cash-flow margin of 16.7%
Price to trailing earnings at 28.5 times and consensus price target of $204.23
One-year performance: fell 22.2% and is 26.1% below its 52-week high

Full EFX analysis: scores, chart and financials →