Pulte's Efforts to Improve Credit Scores Could Lead to Increased Prices, According to Bloomberg
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 25 2025
0mins
Should l Buy EFX?
Credit Score Competition: The Federal Housing Finance Agency is introducing competition to the FICO score in the home-loan market by allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to back VantageScore Solutions, a FICO alternative.
Impact on Consumers: This shift may lead to a "credit-score war," potentially increasing credit-score prices for consumers as the traditional FICO score faces challenges from VantageScore.
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Analyst Views on EFX
Wall Street analysts forecast EFX stock price to rise
14 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 186.430
Low
195.00
Averages
232.08
High
283.00
Current: 186.430
Low
195.00
Averages
232.08
High
283.00
About EFX
Equifax Inc. is a global data, analytics, and technology company. The Company is engaged in helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions. The Company’s Workforce Solutions segment provides services enabling customers to verify income, employment, educational history, criminal justice data, healthcare professional licensure and sanctions of people in the United States. The Company’s U.S. Information Solutions (USIS) segment provides consumer and commercial information solutions to businesses in the United States, including online information, decisioning technology solutions, identity management services, analytical services, e-commerce fraud and charge back protection services, portfolio management services, mortgage information and marketing services. The Company’s International segment provides products and services similar to those available in the USIS segment but with variations by geographic region.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
First-Party Fraud in Canada Surges 31% Year-Over-Year
- Fraud Rate Increase: Equifax Canada's latest data reveals a 31% year-over-year rise in first-party fraud rates from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, indicating a troubling trend of consumers manipulating their financial information, particularly pronounced in Ontario and Alberta.
- Credit Card Fraud Surge: First-party credit card fraud nearly doubled, increasing from 0.08% in Q4 2024 to 0.15% in Q4 2025, with 77% of cases involving applicants submitting contradictory or inconsistent data, leading to credit losses as high as $123 million CAD.
- Banking and Deposit Fraud Shift: In banking and deposits, first-party fraud rates rose from 0.51% to 0.68%, with cases involving falsified financial information skyrocketing from 1.5% to 21%, highlighting the evolving nature of fraud tactics and increasing risks.
- Mortgage and Auto Loan Fraud: Despite a decline in mortgage and auto loan fraud rates by 12.5% and 19.4% respectively, potential losses remain significant, with consumers aged 26 to 45 accounting for most suspected fraudulent mortgage applications, indicating a high risk among younger demographics.
See More
Jerome Dodson's Q1 2026 Investment Moves
- New Stock Additions: Jerome Dodson added a total of 8 stocks in Q1 2026, with the most significant being Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS), acquiring 75,518 shares, which represents 2.07% of the portfolio and a total value of $14.97 million, indicating confidence in the sports retail market.
- Key Position Increases: Dodson increased his stake in DoorDash Inc (NASDAQ:DASH) by 50,768 shares, a 135.47% rise, bringing the total to 88,243 shares, impacting the portfolio by 1.05% with a total value of $13.25 million, reflecting optimism in the food delivery sector.
- Complete Exits: In Q1 2026, Dodson completely exited 8 holdings, including Equifax Inc (NYSE:EFX), selling all 98,891 shares, resulting in a -2.67% impact on the portfolio, demonstrating caution towards the data services industry.
- Significant Reductions: Dodson reduced his position in Teradyne Inc (NASDAQ:TER) by 67,375 shares, a 45.27% decrease, impacting the portfolio by -1.62%, while the stock has returned 58.85% over the past three months, indicating a reassessment of the tech sector.
See More
New Solution Accelerates Digital Verifications for Loans
- Loan Application Acceleration: Equifax's launch of The Work Number Record Indicator provides income and employment insights for auto or personal loans, helping lenders expedite the approval process and reduce friction between borrowers and lenders, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.
- Immediate Visibility: This solution can instantly return the verification status of an applicant's income and employment, enabling lenders to quickly segment workflows and fast-track suitable borrowers, thus reducing uncertainty in the application process.
- Data-Driven Decisions: By integrating The Work Number Record Indicator with the Equifax consumer credit report, lenders gain clearer insights into borrowers' financial situations, allowing for more informed, data-driven decisions that meet modern borrowers' expectations for a seamless digital experience.
- Multi-Data Solution: This new service is the latest multi-data solution from Equifax, designed to provide lenders with a more comprehensive view of borrowers' financial profiles, assisting them in making more effective decisions during both the pre-qualification and financing stages of the car-buying process.
See More
Equifax to Announce Q1 2026 Financial Results on April 21
- Earnings Release Schedule: Equifax will release its financial results for Q1 2026 on April 21 at 6:30 a.m. ET, showcasing the company's latest performance in the data and analytics sector.
- Conference Call Details: The company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day, where senior management will discuss financial and business results, expected to provide investors with in-depth business insights.
- Investor Materials Release: Related presentation materials will be published on investor.equifax.com at the time of the earnings release, ensuring investors have access to the latest information to support their decision-making.
- Global Business Overview: Equifax operates in 24 countries worldwide with nearly 15,000 employees, emphasizing its critical role in driving economic progress through data and analytics.
See More
Equifax to Announce Q1 2026 Financial Results on April 21
- Earnings Release Schedule: Equifax will release its financial results for Q1 2026 on April 21 at 6:30 a.m. ET, showcasing the company's ongoing performance in the data analytics sector.
- Management Conference Call: At 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day, Equifax's senior management will host a conference call to discuss financial and business results, aiming to provide transparency and enhance market confidence among investors.
- Investor Materials Publication: Related presentation materials will be published on the investor website at the time of the earnings release, ensuring that investors have timely access to key information for informed decision-making.
- Global Business Overview: As a global data and analytics company, Equifax employs nearly 15,000 people and operates in 24 countries, emphasizing its critical role in the global economy.
See More
Credit Bureaus Lower Fees, But Analysts Assert Fair Isaac's FICO Remains Preeminent.
Price Cut Impact: A price reduction for VantageScore credit reports may not significantly affect the stock prices of Equifax or TransUnion, according to Oppenheimer analysts.
FICO's Dominance: The FICO mortgage origination score, offered by Fair Isaac, continues to lead the credit scoring market despite the changes in VantageScore pricing.
See More
First-Party Fraud in Canada Surges 31% Year-Over-Year
- Fraud Rate Increase: Equifax Canada's latest data reveals a 31% year-over-year rise in first-party fraud rates from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, indicating a troubling trend of consumers manipulating their financial information, particularly pronounced in Ontario and Alberta.
- Credit Card Fraud Surge: First-party credit card fraud nearly doubled, increasing from 0.08% in Q4 2024 to 0.15% in Q4 2025, with 77% of cases involving applicants submitting contradictory or inconsistent data, leading to credit losses as high as $123 million CAD.
- Banking and Deposit Fraud Shift: In banking and deposits, first-party fraud rates rose from 0.51% to 0.68%, with cases involving falsified financial information skyrocketing from 1.5% to 21%, highlighting the evolving nature of fraud tactics and increasing risks.
- Mortgage and Auto Loan Fraud: Despite a decline in mortgage and auto loan fraud rates by 12.5% and 19.4% respectively, potential losses remain significant, with consumers aged 26 to 45 accounting for most suspected fraudulent mortgage applications, indicating a high risk among younger demographics.
See More
Jerome Dodson's Q1 2026 Investment Moves
- New Stock Additions: Jerome Dodson added a total of 8 stocks in Q1 2026, with the most significant being Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:DKS), acquiring 75,518 shares, which represents 2.07% of the portfolio and a total value of $14.97 million, indicating confidence in the sports retail market.
- Key Position Increases: Dodson increased his stake in DoorDash Inc (NASDAQ:DASH) by 50,768 shares, a 135.47% rise, bringing the total to 88,243 shares, impacting the portfolio by 1.05% with a total value of $13.25 million, reflecting optimism in the food delivery sector.
- Complete Exits: In Q1 2026, Dodson completely exited 8 holdings, including Equifax Inc (NYSE:EFX), selling all 98,891 shares, resulting in a -2.67% impact on the portfolio, demonstrating caution towards the data services industry.
- Significant Reductions: Dodson reduced his position in Teradyne Inc (NASDAQ:TER) by 67,375 shares, a 45.27% decrease, impacting the portfolio by -1.62%, while the stock has returned 58.85% over the past three months, indicating a reassessment of the tech sector.
See More
New Solution Accelerates Digital Verifications for Loans
- Loan Application Acceleration: Equifax's launch of The Work Number Record Indicator provides income and employment insights for auto or personal loans, helping lenders expedite the approval process and reduce friction between borrowers and lenders, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.
- Immediate Visibility: This solution can instantly return the verification status of an applicant's income and employment, enabling lenders to quickly segment workflows and fast-track suitable borrowers, thus reducing uncertainty in the application process.
- Data-Driven Decisions: By integrating The Work Number Record Indicator with the Equifax consumer credit report, lenders gain clearer insights into borrowers' financial situations, allowing for more informed, data-driven decisions that meet modern borrowers' expectations for a seamless digital experience.
- Multi-Data Solution: This new service is the latest multi-data solution from Equifax, designed to provide lenders with a more comprehensive view of borrowers' financial profiles, assisting them in making more effective decisions during both the pre-qualification and financing stages of the car-buying process.
See More
Equifax to Announce Q1 2026 Financial Results on April 21
- Earnings Release Schedule: Equifax will release its financial results for Q1 2026 on April 21 at 6:30 a.m. ET, showcasing the company's latest performance in the data and analytics sector.
- Conference Call Details: The company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day, where senior management will discuss financial and business results, expected to provide investors with in-depth business insights.
- Investor Materials Release: Related presentation materials will be published on investor.equifax.com at the time of the earnings release, ensuring investors have access to the latest information to support their decision-making.
- Global Business Overview: Equifax operates in 24 countries worldwide with nearly 15,000 employees, emphasizing its critical role in driving economic progress through data and analytics.
See More
Equifax to Announce Q1 2026 Financial Results on April 21
- Earnings Release Schedule: Equifax will release its financial results for Q1 2026 on April 21 at 6:30 a.m. ET, showcasing the company's ongoing performance in the data analytics sector.
- Management Conference Call: At 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day, Equifax's senior management will host a conference call to discuss financial and business results, aiming to provide transparency and enhance market confidence among investors.
- Investor Materials Publication: Related presentation materials will be published on the investor website at the time of the earnings release, ensuring that investors have timely access to key information for informed decision-making.
- Global Business Overview: As a global data and analytics company, Equifax employs nearly 15,000 people and operates in 24 countries, emphasizing its critical role in the global economy.
See More
Credit Bureaus Lower Fees, But Analysts Assert Fair Isaac's FICO Remains Preeminent.
Price Cut Impact: A price reduction for VantageScore credit reports may not significantly affect the stock prices of Equifax or TransUnion, according to Oppenheimer analysts.
FICO's Dominance: The FICO mortgage origination score, offered by Fair Isaac, continues to lead the credit scoring market despite the changes in VantageScore pricing.
See More
