Core Insights - Fair Isaac (FICO) announced a new program that allows it to provide credit scores directly to mortgage lenders, bypassing traditional credit bureaus, which could significantly alter the mortgage industry landscape [2][3][4] Group 1: Fair Isaac's New Program - Fair Isaac's FICO Direct Mortgage License Program enables tri-merge resellers to access and distribute FICO scores directly to customers, reducing reliance on major credit bureaus [3] - The program is expected to save lenders up to 50% on per score FICO fees, marking a significant shift in how credit scores are delivered and priced in the mortgage sector [3][4] Group 2: Market Reactions - Following the announcement, shares of Equifax (EFX) and TransUnion (TRU) fell by 9% and 12% respectively, reflecting concerns over the potential loss of revenue from mortgage scoring [2][4] - In contrast, Fair Isaac's shares surged by approximately 20%, indicating strong market confidence in the new strategy [2][5] Group 3: Industry Implications - The move by Fair Isaac threatens a critical revenue stream for the major credit bureaus, as lenders may opt to bypass them entirely for credit scoring [4] - The third major credit score provider, Experian, also experienced a decline in share value in London, although it does not trade in the U.S. [4]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures showed mixed results, with Dow futures declining approximately 0.1% [1] Company-Specific Movements - Fidus Investment Corp (NASDAQ:FDUS) experienced a significant drop of 2.6%, trading at $19.80 in pre-market after announcing a $100 million public offering of 6.750% notes due 2030 [1] - Bolt Biotherapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:BOLT) shares fell sharply by 13.4% to $4.90 following an update on BDC-4182 and an extension of its cash runway into 2027 [3] - Equifax Inc (NYSE:EFX) saw a decline of 10.9%, trading at $226.00, after Seaport Global initiated coverage with a Neutral rating [3] - TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) shares dropped 8.8% to $75.00, also receiving a Neutral rating from Seaport Global [3] - Lithium Americas Corp (NYSE:LAC) fell 5% to $6.69 after a previous increase of 23% on Wednesday [3] - Erasca Inc (NASDAQ:ERAS) shares decreased by 3.2% to $2.14 in pre-market trading [3] - Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc (NASDAQ:WOOF) declined 3.1% to $3.79 [3] - Rocket Companies Inc (NYSE:RKT) slipped 3.1% to $18.99, with Western Union set to replace Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to trading on October 6 [3]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures showed mixed results, with Dow futures declining approximately 0.1% on Thursday [1] Company-Specific Movements - Fidus Investment Corp (NASDAQ:FDUS) experienced a significant drop of 2.6%, trading at $19.80 in pre-market after announcing a $100 million public offering of 6.750% notes due 2030 [1] - Bolt Biotherapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:BOLT) shares plummeted 13.4% to $4.90 following an update on BDC-4182 and an extension of its cash runway into 2027 [3] - Equifax Inc (NYSE:EFX) fell 10.9% to $226.00 after Seaport Global analyst John Mazzoni initiated coverage with a Neutral rating [3] - TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) saw a decline of 8.8%, trading at $75.00, also receiving a Neutral rating from Seaport Global [3] - Lithium Americas Corp (NYSE:LAC) dropped 5% to $6.69 after a notable increase of 23% on the previous day [3] - Erasca Inc (NASDAQ:ERAS) fell 3.2% to $2.14 in pre-market trading [3] - Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc (NASDAQ:WOOF) decreased by 3.1%, trading at $3.79 [3] - Rocket Companies Inc (NYSE:RKT) slipped 3.1% to $18.99, with the announcement that Western Union will replace Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on October 6 [3]

Core Viewpoint - Premarket trading is showing notable activity with significant price movements indicating potential investment opportunities before the market opens [1] Premarket Gainers - Concorde International Group Ltd. (CIGL) increased by 53% to $3.94 [3] - Fermi Inc. Common Stock (FRMI) rose by 13% to $36.99 [3] - Kodiak AI, Inc. (KDK) also saw a 13% increase, reaching $6.76 [3] - AngioDynamics, Inc. (ANGO) gained 12%, trading at $12.45 [3] - Angel Studios, Inc. (ANGX) was up 11% at $8.51 [3] - Spruce Biosciences, Inc. (SPRB) increased by 9% to $9.75 [3] - K Wave Media Ltd. (KWM) rose by 9% to $2.66 [3] - Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. (SHLS) saw an 8% increase, trading at $8.59 [3] - StableX Technologies, Inc. (SBLX) was up 7% at $5.65 [3] Premarket Losers - Uni-Fuels Holdings Limited (UFG) decreased by 51% to $2.42 [4] - Akanda Corp. (AKAN) fell by 13% to $2.91 [4] - Equifax Inc. (EFX) dropped 11%, trading at $224.57 [4] - TransUnion (TRU) also saw an 11% decline, reaching $73.24 [4] - Bolt Biotherapeutics, Inc. (BOLT) decreased by 11% to $4.99 [4] - Dogwood Therapeutics, Inc. (DWTX) fell by 8% to $6.50 [4] - Galaxy Payroll Group Limited (GLXG) decreased by 8% to $4.52 [4] - Old Market Capital Corporation (OMCC) dropped 7% to $5.08 [4] - Entero Therapeutics, Inc. (ENTO) fell by 7% to $3.96 [4] - Flux Power Holdings, Inc. (FLUX) decreased by 7% to $3.74 [4]

- Identity fraud fuels sharp rise in credit card cases -- Equifax Canada Market Pulse Fraud Trends and Insights Report - TORONTO, Oct. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equifax Canada’s Market Pulse Fraud Trends and Insights Report for the first half of 2025 reveals a sharp rise in credit card fraud, even as overall application fraud rates across Canada have fallen to their lowest point since Q3 2022. Nationally, application fraud rates dropped to 0.56 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, down from 0.70 per c ...

Core Insights - Equifax Inc. (EFX) is a leading global data, analytics, and technology company with a market cap of $31.5 billion, set to announce its fiscal third-quarter earnings for 2025 on October 15 [1] Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate EFX to report a profit of $1.94 per share on a diluted basis, reflecting a 4.9% increase from $1.85 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For the full year, EPS is expected to be $7.56, up 3.7% from $7.29 in fiscal 2024, with a projected rise to $9.13 in fiscal 2026, representing a 20.8% year-over-year increase [3] Stock Performance - EFX stock has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, which gained 15.6% over the past 52 weeks, with EFX shares down 12.5% during the same period [4] - The stock also lagged behind the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund's 13.3% gains in the same timeframe [4] Market Challenges - The underperformance of Equifax is attributed to macroeconomic challenges, including a weak mortgage market due to high interest rates and home prices, reduced hiring, and regulatory issues [5] - Despite maintaining full-year revenue guidance, the company's cautious outlook due to economic uncertainties may have negatively impacted investor sentiment [5] Recent Financial Results - On July 22, EFX shares fell over 8% after reporting Q2 results, with adjusted EPS of $2 exceeding Wall Street expectations of $1.92, and revenue of $1.54 billion surpassing forecasts of $1.51 billion [6] - EFX expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $7.33 to $7.63, with revenue projected between $5.97 billion and $6.04 billion [6] Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a reasonably bullish consensus on EFX stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall; 11 analysts recommend a "Strong Buy," three suggest a "Moderate Buy," and 10 give a "Hold" [7] - The average analyst price target for EFX is $279.81, indicating a potential upside of 10% from current levels [7]

Group 1 - Equifax (NYSE: EFX) is positioned to benefit from regulatory changes affecting Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), which has seen a 15% downward revision in its fair value compared to its actual price [1] - The focus is on long-term investment strategies in U.S. and European equities, emphasizing undervalued growth stocks and high-quality dividend growers [1] - Sustained profitability, characterized by strong margins, stable and expanding free cash flow, and high returns on invested capital, is highlighted as a more reliable driver of returns than valuation alone [1] Group 2 - The analyst has a beneficial long position in FICO shares through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [2] - The article expresses the analyst's personal opinions and does not involve compensation from any company mentioned [2]

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equifax® Canada introduces Optimal Path™, an interactive solution that uses an individual’s credit data to create personalized, actionable suggestions to help Canadians in building a better credit future. Powered by the Equifax Cloud™ and patented EFX.AI capabilities, Optimal Path is a breakthrough innovation in Equifax Credit Health™, now available to banks, lenders and fintechs to offer to their customers. According to a recent consumer survey* commissioned by E ...

All right. So, Drew, what do you make of this this uh morning. We're seeing the futures pull back. We're seeing gold spike quite a bit.It's up over 1% generally. That's the safety trade. What do you think's going on with investors this morning.Look, I think sentiment's really high. That that's the starting point for everything here. And any news that might upset the apple cart might be a reason to normalize positioning or take some profits.I think a lot of this is shortterm because I think the bigger, not n ...

Market Sentiment and Earnings - Investor sentiment is currently high, leading to potential profit-taking and normalization of positions in response to any unsettling news [1] - The upcoming Q3 earnings reporting season is expected to be a significant factor influencing market direction [2][4] - The market's recent highs are attributed to expectations of rate cuts, but the sustainability of this trend hinges on strong earnings performance [2][3] Earnings Pressure - There is considerable pressure on earnings to exceed growth expectations, particularly given current market valuations [4][5] - The current earnings pressure is noted to be at levels not seen since the tech bubble and the post-pandemic recovery [5] Company Focus: Equifax - Equifax is highlighted as a potential investment opportunity due to its earnings inflection story, driven by lower interest rates impacting mortgage rates [6] - Analyst expectations for Equifax's earnings are projected to be significantly above consensus for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, supported by lower mortgage rates [6] - The company is expected to improve its return on equity (ROE) through enhanced margins and operational efficiency [7] Mortgage Rates and Housing Market - Despite recent increases in mortgage rates, the long-term outlook remains positive due to a housing market that is underbuilt in the United States [8] - The current mortgage rates are approaching the 6% range, which may stimulate demand for both refinancing and new home purchases [8]