Oct 21 (Reuters) - Credit bureau Equifax ( EFX )

reported a rise in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, as strength

in consumer lending drove higher demand for credit checks and

income verification services.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut of the

year in September and expectations of further easing later in

2025 have fueled hopes of lower mortgage rates.

This drove up interest from homebuyers and, in turn,

increased the demand for credit-checks and income-verification

data - key revenue streams for Equifax's ( EFX ) workforce solutions

unit. The unit accounted for over 40% of total revenue.

Shares of the company, which have lost 9.3% YTD, rose 1.25%

in trading before the bell.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based Equifax's ( EFX ) revenue grew 7% to

$1.55 billion in the third quarter, driven by strong growth in

U.S. mortgage revenue.

Revenue from its workforce solutions unit, the company's

largest operating segment, increased by 5% to reach $649.4

million.

Its verification services revenue rose 5% to $553.6

million, while revenue from its employer services was up 1%.

On an adjusted basis, Equifax ( EFX ) earned $252.9 million, or

$2.04 per share, in the three months ended September 30,

compared to $231.8 million or $1.85 per share, in the year

earlier.

Earlier this month, U.S. data analytics company Fair Isaac

unveiled a program that lets mortgage resellers calculate and

distribute its credit scores directly to consumers.