Exhibit
99.1
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1550 Peachtree Street, N.W. Atlanta,
Georgia 30309
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Contact
Information:
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Jeff
Dodge
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Tim
Klein
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Investor
Relations
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Media
Relations
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(404)
885-8300
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(404)
885-8555
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jeff.dodge@equifax.com
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tim.klein@equifax.com
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Equifax
Board of Directors Announces Increase in Quarterly Common Stock
Dividend
ATLANTA, GA, November 8, 2010 —
Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that its
Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share, a 400
percent increase from the current dividend of $0.04 per share,
payable on December 15, 2010, to shareholders of record at the close of business
on November 24, 2010.
The
company has a long history of returning significant cash to shareholders through
dividends and share repurchases. The Board has decided to raise the portion of
the cash distributed to shareholders as dividends, setting a target dividend
payout ratio of 25% to 35% of net income adjusted for unusual
items.
“The
Board’s decision underscores their confidence in the operating performance of
the company, the strength of our balance sheet, and the long-term growth
prospects that we have outlined,” said Richard F. Smith, Equifax Chairman and
CEO. “Our strategy is working; our business is growing. We will
continue to invest, organically and through acquisition, to achieve the
long-term growth targets we have set for ourselves. And we intend to
continue to provide a strong and attractive return to our investors through a
consistent and meaningful dividend and share buybacks.”
About
Equifax (www.equifax.com)
Equifax
empowers businesses and consumers with information they can trust. A global
leader in information solutions, we leverage one of the largest sources of
consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary
technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of
businesses and the lives of consumers.
With a
strong heritage of innovation and leadership, Equifax continuously delivers
innovative solutions with the highest integrity and
reliability. Businesses – large and small – rely on us for consumer
and business credit intelligence, portfolio management, fraud detection,
decisioning technology, marketing tools, and much more. We empower
individual consumers to manage their personal credit information, protect their
identity, and maximize their financial well-being.
Headquartered
in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. operates in the U.S. and 14 other countries
throughout North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Equifax is a member of
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index. Our common stock is traded on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EFX.
Forward-Looking
Statements
Management
believes certain statements in this earnings release may constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements regarding the timing and
amount of future dividend payments, share repurchases, the targeted dividend
payout ratio, investment in strategic growth initiatives and achievement of long
term growth targets. These statements are made on the basis of
management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business
performance as of the time the statements are made. Management does
not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements. The declaration and payment of dividends is at the
discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors and will depend on the Company’s
financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed
relevant by the Board.
Actual
results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such
differences may result from actions taken by Equifax, including restructuring or
strategic initiatives (including capital investments or asset acquisitions or
dispositions), as well as from developments beyond Equifax’s control, including,
but not limited to, changes in worldwide and U.S. economic conditions that
materially impact consumer spending, consumer debt and employment and the demand
for Equifax's products and services. Other risk factors include our ability
to develop new products and services, respond to pricing and other competitive
pressures, complete and integrate acquisitions and other investments and achieve
targeted cost efficiencies; risks relating to illegal third party efforts to
access data; changes in laws and regulations governing our business, including
the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related
regulations, federal or state responses to identity theft concerns; and the
outcome of our pending litigation. Certain additional factors are set
forth in Equifax’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2009 under Item 1A, “Risk Factors”, and our other filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.