DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

Equifax Inc.'s (EFX) second-quarter profit dropped 16% on lower international sales and some weakness in U.S. operations.

Shares fell 3% to $25.99 in after-hours trading as revenue fell short of the company's guidance and the company projected third-quarter earnings of 52 cents to 57 cents. Analysts estimated 59 cents, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

Equifax, one of the three major U.S. credit-reporting bureaus, has branched into other areas such as credit-card marketing, fraud detection and credit-risk consulting, to chase revenue in a tough environment. It also has expanded internationally.

The company reported profit of $59.6 million, or 47 cents a share, down from $70.8 million, or 54 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding acquisition-related costs and other items, earnings fell to 57 cents a share from 64 cents.

Revenue dropped 9.3% to $455.4 million, nearly half due to currency change.

In April, Equifax predicted adjusted earnings of 55 cents to 60 cents a share on revenue roughly the same or up slightly from the first quarter's $452.9 million.

The U.S. consumer information solutions segment, which typically accounts for half of Equifax's revenue, posted an 8% decrease. Revenue at the Talx unit, which verifies borrower information for mortgage lenders and provides human-resources services, rose 12%.

Total international revenue fell 24%, but only 8% in local currencies.

Last week, rival Experian PLC (EXPGY) reported an 8% drop in revenue for its latest quarter, largely due to shifting exchange rates.

-By Kathy Shwiff, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2357; Kathy.Shwiff@dowjones.com