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Equifax's (EFX) Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Decline Y/Y

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Equifax Inc. (EFX - Free Report) reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2023 results.

Adjusted earnings (excluding 52 cents from non-recurring items) came in at $1.43, beating the consensus mark by 4.4% but declining 35.6% from the year-ago figure.

Total revenues of $1.3 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 1.5% but decreased 4.5% on a reported basis from the year-ago figure. The top line was down 3% on a local currency basis.

Equifax, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Equifax, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Equifax, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Equifax, Inc. Quote

Segmental Information

Revenues in the Workforce Solutions segment totaled $596.3 million, down 8% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. Within the segment, Verification Services’ revenues of $455.8 million were down 11% year over year. Employer Services’ revenues of $140.5 million were up 4% year over year.

Revenues in the USIS segment were $421.7 million, down 3% from the year-ago quarter’s level. Within the segment, Online Information Solutions’ revenues of $341 million were down 1% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. Mortgage Solutions’ revenues of $33.3 million declined 23% year over year. Financial Marketing Services’ revenues were $47.4 million, increasing 4% year over year.

Revenues in the International division totaled $284 million, gaining 1% and 9% year over year on a reported basis and a local-currency basis, respectively. Asia Pacific revenues of $84.6 million increased 4% from the year-ago reported figure on a reported basis and 11% on a local-currency basis.

Revenues from Europe amounted to $75.7 million, down 12% year over year on a reported basis and 4% on a local-currency basis. Latin America revenues of $55.3 million grew 17% year over year on a reported basis and 32% on a local-currency basis. Canada revenues of $63.1 million were up 2% year over year on a reported basis and 8% on a local-currency basis.

Operating Results

Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2023 totaled $379.6 million, down 22% from the year-ago quarter’s level. Adjusted EBITDA margin fell 630 basis points from the year-ago reported figure to 29.2%.

Workforce Solutions’ adjusted EBITDA margin was 50.4% compared with 54.6% a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the USIS division was 32.6% compared with 39.3% in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the International segment was 25.8% compared with 29.9% in the prior-year quarter.

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

EFX exited the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $232.5 million. Equifax generated $150.9 million in cash from operating activities in the quarter. The company has a long-term debt of $4.99 billion compared with $4.82 billion in the year-ago reported figure.

Capital expenditures were $158.3 million. During the reported quarter, the company paid $47.9 million through dividends.

Q2 and 2023 outlook

For the second quarter of 2023, revenues are expected to be in the $1.31-1.33 billion band. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $1.28 billion, which is below the guided range. Adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $1.6-$1.7, higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings of $1.37.

For 2023, revenues are expected in the range of $5.27-$5.37 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.33 billion lies above the mid-point ($5.32 billion) of the guided range. Adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $7.05-$7.35. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $7.19, which lies below the midpoint ($7.20) of the range.

Equifax currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Upcoming Earnings That Warrant a Look

Here are a few stocks from the broader Business Services sector, which, according to our model, have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this season.

Waste Connections (WCN - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.93% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2023 results on Apr 26, after market close. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the bottom line is pegged at 88 cents per share, up 7.3% from the year-ago figure. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $1.9 billion, up 15.4% from the figure reported a year ago. WCN had an average surprise of 3.53% in the previous four quarters.

Waste Management (WM - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.53% and a Zacks Rank of 3. It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2023 results on Apr 26, after market close.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.26 per share, down 2.3% from the year-ago figure. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $4.84 billion, up 3.9% from the prior-year figure. WM had an average surprise of 4.7% in the previous four quarters.

Aptiv (APTV - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.29% and a Zacks Rank of 3. It is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2023 results on May 4, before market open.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the bottom line is pegged at 86 cents per share, up 36.5% from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $4.51 billion, up 7.9% from the prior-year reported figure. APTV had a negative surprise of 8.7%, on average, in the previous four quarters.

 

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