On October 2, Equifax declined 5.17% in after-hours trading, falling to $131.69 per share, with turnover of $7.99 million. The drop came amid escalating regulatory headwinds and a wave of analyst downgrades that weighed heavily on the credit bureau sector.

The sell-off was triggered by continued fallout from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) regulatory developments. While VantageScore — jointly operated by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — saw its application scope expanded under the new policy, FHFA Director Pulte publicly criticized all three major credit bureaus for long-standing overcharging of consumers and signaled potential reforms including bi-merge credit reporting measures. The market continued to price in tightening regulatory risks across the sector, with peer TransUnion falling 6.72% in tandem.

Compounding the pressure, multiple investment banks reduced their price targets on Equifax: BMO Capital cut its target from $179 to $160 while maintaining a market perform rating, Autonomous Research lowered its target from $194 to $186 with a neutral rating, and Wells Fargo trimmed from $212 to $200. The consensus mean price target now stands near $210, well above current trading levels but reflecting growing institutional caution toward the company's near-term outlook.

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