First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Shares of First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $20.99 and last traded at $20.97, with a volume of 453922 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.58.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on FA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 price objective on shares of First Advantage in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barclays raised their target price on First Advantage from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.50.

First Advantage Trading Up 0.1%

The firm has a market cap of $3.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 705.67 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s 50 day moving average is $16.93 and its 200-day moving average is $13.96. The company has a quick ratio of 3.85, a current ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last released 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%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast 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 that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $350,010.00. Following the sale, the president owned 19,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $290,895. This trade represents a 54.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through 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 First Advantage stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.69, for a total value of $77,210.49. Following the sale, the director directly owned 56,844 shares in the company, valued at approximately $891,882.36. This trade 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. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of First Advantage

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FA. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in shares of First Advantage in the fourth quarter worth $257,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of First Advantage by 4.3% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 35,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in First Advantage by 7.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 239,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,371,000 after purchasing an additional 16,664 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. bought a new position in First Advantage in the 2nd quarter valued at about $167,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in First Advantage by 627.7% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 67,178 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,116,000 after buying an additional 57,946 shares during the period. 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.