Equifax (EFX) Looks Attractive Defying Mortgage Weakness and AI Fears

1 month ago 14

Soumya Eswaran

Thu, July 30, 2026 astatine 8:26 AM CDT 4 min read

Investment absorption company Vulcan Value Partners recently released its second-quarter 2026 capitalist letter. A transcript of the missive tin beryllium downloaded here. Vulcan Value Partners prioritizes semipermanent returns and little hazard implicit short-term performance. In the quarter, the Large Cap Composite (Net) returned 9.5%, the Small Cap Composite (Net) returned 13.3%, the Focus Composite (Net) returned 10.4%, the Focus Plus Composite (Net) returned 10.5%, and the All-Cap Composite (Net) returned 9.0%. The steadfast reported beardown compounding crossed its strategies successful Q2 2026. Management highlighted that their exceptional holdings stay profoundly undervalued comparative to "what is working" successful the market, viewing this arsenic an fantabulous accidental for diligent investors. In addition, delight cheque the Firm's apical 5 holdings to cognize its champion picks successful 2026.

In its Q2 2026 capitalist letter, Vulcan Value Partners emphasized Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), a institution specializing successful data, analytics, and exertion done its Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International divisions. During the quarter, Vulcan Value Partners added Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) to its large‑cap and all‑cap strategies. On July 29, 2026, Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) closed astatine $187.05 per share, reflecting a marketplace capitalization of $21.98 billion. Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) posted a one-month instrumentality of 8.71%, portion its shares mislaid 22.14% implicit the past 52 weeks.

Vulcan Value Partners stated the pursuing regarding Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) successful its Q2 2026 capitalist update:

"We purchased 1 caller presumption during the quarter: Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX). Equifax is 1 of the 3 large recognition bureaus successful the U.S. Lending institutions self-report their user lending and outgo information to Equifax. That information is past aggregated arsenic a recognition study and recognition people and sold backmost to lenders to measure the creditworthiness of borrowers. Credit bureau information is proprietary, sensitive, and highly regulated. The barriers to introduction are astir insurmountable for a caller entrant. Competition betwixt the 3 recognition bureaus is rational. In summation to Equifax's bequest recognition bureau business, its Workforce Solutions conception makes up implicit 60% of EBIT. Employers and large payroll providers nonstop Equifax their payroll and employment data. In return, Equifax handles the administrative load of employment and income verification requests from lenders, imaginable employers, and authorities agencies. Equifax has implicit 210 cardinal progressive enactment records making up 70% of non workplace payrolls. Their database is massively larger than their adjacent biggest competitor's. Anyone looking to verify this accusation volition astir ever take the largest, astir up-to-date database, and employers and payroll providers don't privation to nonstop this delicate accusation to much than 1 institution owed to cybersecurity risk. The Workforce Solutions conception has grown double-digits organically implicit the past 10 years, and absorption projects it to turn debased to mid teens done 2030, each astatine a borderline supra the institution average. We person followed Equifax for galore years, and it is seldom cheap. We judge the banal has traded down owed to a anemic owe marketplace and perceived AI risk. Despite U.S. owe volumes being 50% beneath pre-COVID levels, we judge the banal is discounted adjacent without immoderate betterment successful owe volumes. As for AI risk, 90% of Equifax's gross comes from proprietary information that is intolerable to get without it being contributed straight by lenders and employers. We bash not judge AI poses immoderate menace to Equifax's business. We are pleased to beryllium shareholders."

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