Equifax Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit fell as solid international revenue could not completely offset lower U.S. revenue.
Equifax, one of three major U.S. credit bureaus, has expanded into other areas, including credit card marketing, fraud detection and credit-risk consulting to increase revenue.
Richard F. Smith, Equifax's chairman and chief executive, said Wednesday that its expansion plans and acquisitions helped Equifax weather a tough 2009 and have positioned it for a strong 2010.
Equifax's fourth-quarter income fell 5.9% year over year, to $60.2 million. Revenue rose 4%, to $464.3 million, primarily because of currency changes.
Revenue in the U.S. consumer information solutions segment, which typically accounts for half of Equifax's revenue, fell 4%, but international revenue rose 11%.
