Equifax Inc. (EFX) vs JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
As of 2026-09-17, EFX is undervalued at $163, with a DCF intrinsic value of $284 and a margin of safety of 43%. JPM is fairly valued at $348, with an intrinsic value of $426 and a margin of safety of 18%. Of the two, EFX has the wider margin of safety.
Rewards
- ★Market sentiment is in extreme fear territory (score: 25/100) — historically, periods of fear have often presented buying opportunities.
- ★JPMorgan Chase & Co. scores 90/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $1.79 of earning power — management is creating shareholder value.
Risks
- ⚠Insiders have sold $7.4M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
- ⚠Gross margin of 0.0% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.30 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠Insiders have sold $3.6M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation. The dashed forward point is the forward P/E — today's price ÷ analyst consensus EPS.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →What growth rate is the market pricing in at $163?
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →Insufficient data for Economic Moat Score calculation (requires 3+ years).
Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Reinvestment Efficiency is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →Insufficient data for Beneish M-Score calculation (requires 2+ years).
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →"Market is pessimistic — investigate whether fears are temporary or structural"
"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
Frequently Asked Questions: EFX vs JPM
Is Equifax Inc. or JPMorgan Chase & Co. more undervalued in 2026?▼
Based on our discounted cash flow model, EFX trades at a 42.7% margin of safety (intrinsic value $284 vs. price $163), compared to JPM's 18.3% margin of safety (intrinsic $426 vs. $348).
Which stock has higher return on invested capital, Equifax Inc. or JPMorgan Chase & Co.?▼
EFX earns 8.8% ROIC versus JPM's 5.5%. A higher ROIC means the company generates more profit per dollar of capital employed, a hallmark of durable competitive advantage in Buffett-style analysis.