Business · NEWS EXPLAINER
Equifax posts 10% revenue growth but trims its 2026 outlook as mortgages weaken
Third-quarter revenue reached $1.693 billion and U.S. mortgage revenue rose 15%. Equifax nevertheless cut the midpoint of its full-year revenue guidance to $6.661 billion as high rates weighed on housing activity.
Equifax reported third-quarter revenue of $1.693 billion, up 10% from a year earlier, and net income of $211.7 million. The credit-data company also lowered the midpoint of its full-year revenue guidance as the U.S. mortgage market weakened late in the quarter.
The quarter grew faster than the housing market
Revenue rose 10% to $1.693 billion, while net income attributable to Equifax increased 32% to $211.7 million. Diluted earnings per share rose 39% to $1.79, and adjusted EPS was $2.26. The official release says U.S. mortgage revenue still grew 15%, even though higher mortgage rates weakened the market in the second half of the quarter.
Growth was broad, but not uniform
Workforce Solutions revenue increased 7% to $693.9 million, USIS rose 13% to $599.1 million, and International increased 9% to $399.5 million. Inside Workforce Solutions, Verification Services rose 9% while Employer Services fell 5%. That mix matters because the headline growth rate does not mean every business line accelerated.
Why the outlook moved lower
Equifax reduced the midpoint of its 2026 revenue guidance to $6.661 billion and now expects a full-year range of $6.646 billion to $6.676 billion. The company said the weaker U.S. mortgage market seen late in the third quarter is likely to persist through the rest of 2026. Adjusted EPS guidance is $8.45 to $8.55, with the midpoint down only four cents from the prior view.
The market focused on profit resilience
The Associated Press reported that Equifax shares rallied 11.3% after profit exceeded analyst expectations despite high mortgage rates slowing parts of the business. That reaction is context, not a forecast: the company’s own guidance still points to slower fourth-quarter growth, with revenue expected between $1.605 billion and $1.635 billion.
What readers should not infer
The release describes company results and non-GAAP measures; it does not predict mortgage rates or provide consumer credit advice. Equifax says it returned $158 million to shareholders through $92 million of share repurchases and $66 million of dividends, but the article does not treat that cash return or the one-day share move as evidence of future investment performance.
