greeksoup/ stock research

Equifax Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 4 new, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue above February guidance midpoint: Reported revenue was $1.649 billion, up 14%, or 13% in local currency, and $37 million above the midpoint of the February guidance framework. Source
  • Earnings per share rose sharply: Net income attributable to Equifax was $171.5 million, up 29%. Diluted EPS was $1.42, up 34%. Adjusted EPS was $1.86, up 22% from the prior year quarter. Source
  • Vitality Index reached 17%: New product Vitality Index was 17%, which management described as significantly above its 10% long-term goal. Products used the EFX Cloud, EFX.AI and proprietary data. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin slightly lower: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 29.0%, against 29.3% a year earlier. Workforce Solutions and International margins rose; USIS margin fell to 30.3% from 34.1%. Source
  • Mortgage revenue jumped before rates rose: U.S. Mortgage revenue rose 38%, mainly in January and February, before higher rates from the Iran conflict reduced mortgage activity. Source
  • $327 million returned to shareholders: The company returned $327 million: $260 million for repurchases of 1.3 million shares and $67 million for quarterly dividends. Share repurchases were $260 million. Source

“Equifax delivered a very strong first quarter performance executing on our EFX2028 Strategic Priorities”

Mark W. Begor, Equifax Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Reported revenue SourceFY 2026$6.685 billion to $6.805 billionRaised from $6.660 billion to $6.780 billion
Reported revenue growth SourceFY 202610.0% to 12.0%Raised from 9.6% to 11.6%
Local currency revenue growth SourceFY 20269.1% to 11.1%; midpoint about 10%Kept
Organic local currency revenue growth SourceFY 20269.0% to 11.0%Kept
Adjusted EPS SourceFY 2026$8.34 to $8.74 per shareRaised from $8.30 to $8.70 per share
Reported revenue SourceQ2 2026$1.680 billion to $1.710 billionNew
Reported revenue growth SourceQ2 20269.3% to 11.3%New
Local currency revenue growth SourceQ2 20268.4% to 10.4%New
Adjusted EPS SourceQ2 2026$2.15 to $2.25 per shareNew

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year reported revenue and Adjusted EPS guidance raised for the foreign exchange impact. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year local currency and organic growth guidance maintained, citing mortgage activity and interest rates. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 guidance given for reported revenue, growth, local currency growth and Adjusted EPS. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue above February guidance midpoint: Reported revenue was $1.649 billion, up 14%, or 13% in local currency, and $37 million above the midpoint of the February guidance framework. Source
  • Earnings per share rose sharply: Net income attributable to Equifax was $171.5 million, up 29%. Diluted EPS was $1.42, up 34%. Adjusted EPS was $1.86, up 22% from the prior year quarter. Source

Segments and regions

  • Workforce Solutions grew 10%: Workforce Solutions revenue was $683.1 million, up 10%. Verification Services rose 14% to $571.4 million, while Employer Services fell 4% to $111.7 million. Source
  • USIS revenue up 21%: USIS revenue was $605.6 million, up 21%. Online Information Solutions rose 24% to $553.7 million, and Financial Marketing Services was flat at $51.9 million. Source
  • International up 4% in local currency: International revenue was $360.2 million, up 11% reported and 4% local currency. Canada grew high single digits in local currency; Latin America was 4% and Europe 1%. Source

“We were pleased with the broad-based Equifax results in a challenging market environment.”

Mark W. Begor, Equifax Chief Executive Officer

Products and innovation

  • Vitality Index reached 17%: New product Vitality Index was 17%, which management described as significantly above its 10% long-term goal. Products used the EFX Cloud, EFX.AI and proprietary data. Source
  • Shift to data and analytics model: Management said the company is now organized differently to go to market, from technology to data and analytics, with EFX.AI capabilities and AI-driven operations. Source
  • Proprietary data cited as moat: Management described its non-public data as the foundation of an AI data moat, and said it is expanding EFX.AI and agentic AI capabilities for scores, models and multi-market products. Source

Margins and costs

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin slightly lower: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 29.0%, against 29.3% a year earlier. Workforce Solutions and International margins rose; USIS margin fell to 30.3% from 34.1%. Source
  • USIS margins compressed: USIS operating margin was 20.2%, against 21.1%. Workforce Solutions operating margin rose to 45.3% from 42.7%, and International to 9.5% from 7.8%. Source
  • Acquisition integration costs lower: Acquisition-related costs other than amortization were $5.1 million, down from $11.6 million. They were mainly integration costs from recent acquisitions and were recorded in operating income. Source
  • Antitrust litigation costs recorded: The company recorded $1.4 million of antitrust litigation costs for its Workforce Solutions business unit, or $1.0 million net of tax, and excluded them from adjusted results. Source

“Our strong first quarter results reflect the resiliency of the broad based Equifax business model in an increasingly uncertain economy.”

Mark W. Begor, Equifax Chief Executive Officer

Mortgage activity and guidance

  • Mortgage revenue jumped before rates rose: U.S. Mortgage revenue rose 38%, mainly in January and February, before higher rates from the Iran conflict reduced mortgage activity. Source
  • USIS mortgage revenue up 60%: Within USIS, Mortgage revenue grew 60% and Diversified Markets revenue grew 3%. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • $327 million returned to shareholders: The company returned $327 million: $260 million for repurchases of 1.3 million shares and $67 million for quarterly dividends. Share repurchases were $260 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow and capital spending: Cash provided by operating activities was $241.9 million, against $223.9 million. Capital expenditures were $120.4 million, against $107.2 million. Source

Strategy and execution

  • EFX2028 priorities in execution: Management said the company executed its EFX2028 Strategic Priorities during the quarter, and described the broad-based results in a challenging market. Source
  • Results held across the business: Management described the results as broad-based across the company, with the business model resilient in an increasingly uncertain economy. Source

Coming up, as management said on 21 April 2026

  • Second-quarter guidance given: Second-quarter reported revenue is expected between $1.680 billion and $1.710 billion, with Adjusted EPS of $2.15 to $2.25 per share. Source
  • Higher growth and margins expected: Management expects the New Equifax to deliver higher growth, margins and accelerating free cash flow, and to return cash to shareholders in the future. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
New product Vitality Index Source17%
U.S. Mortgage revenue growth Source38%
USIS Mortgage revenue growth Source60%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Revenue guidance held because of uncertainty around interest rates and U.S. mortgage activity linked to the Iran conflict. Source
  • External: Management cited uncertainty in the global macroeconomic environment and in the direction of U.S. inflation and interest rates. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Revenue was $37 million above the midpoint of the February guidance framework. Source
  • Not stated: Management said the company is executing on its EFX2028 Strategic Priorities. Source
  • Not stated: The 17% Vitality Index was described as significantly above the 10% long-term goal. Source
  • Not stated: USIS revenue growth of 21% was described as well above the 6 to 8% framework. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.