First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Shares Up 7.4% – Still a Buy?

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) shot up 7.4% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $16.53 and last traded at $16.7050. 285,176 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 1,077,585 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.56.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 price objective on shares of First Advantage in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup boosted their price target on First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on First Advantage from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Advantage presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.50.

First Advantage Stock Up 7.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 3.85 and a quick ratio of 3.85. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $13.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.29. The firm has a market cap of $2.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 555.87 and a beta of 1.20.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.05. First Advantage had a net margin of 0.65% and a return on equity of 13.16%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.17 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other First Advantage news, President Joelle M. Smith sold 23,334 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $350,010.00. Following the transaction, the president owned 19,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $290,895. This trade represents a 54.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director James Lindsey Clark sold 4,921 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.69, for a total transaction of $77,210.49. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 56,844 shares in the company, valued at $891,882.36. This represents a 7.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Advantage

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in First Advantage by 6.6% in the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 21,966 shares of the company’s stock worth $258,000 after acquiring an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. Amundi bought a new position in First Advantage in the first quarter worth about $241,000. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in First Advantage by 30.0% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 93,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,095,000 after acquiring an additional 21,460 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in First Advantage by 17.9% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 80,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $942,000 after acquiring an additional 12,144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Estuary Capital Management LP bought a new position in First Advantage in the first quarter worth about $6,558,000. Institutional investors own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

First Advantage Company Profile

First Advantage is a global provider of background screening, identity verification and workforce risk management solutions. The company delivers a comprehensive suite of services that help employers verify candidate credentials, manage regulatory compliance and mitigate risk throughout the employee lifecycle. Its platform is built to integrate with leading human capital management and applicant tracking systems, enabling a seamless and scalable experience for organizations of all sizes.

The company’s core offerings include pre-employment and continuous background screening, digital identity verification, drug and health testing, and ongoing employee monitoring.