805,144 Shares in First Advantage Co. $FA Purchased by Palisade Capital Management LP

Palisade Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 805,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,533,000. Palisade Capital Management LP owned approximately 0.47% of First Advantage at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of First Advantage during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,311,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in shares of First Advantage in the second quarter worth approximately $545,000. Foyston Gordon & Payne Inc purchased a new stake in shares of First Advantage during the second quarter worth approximately $629,000. Ieq Capital LLC acquired a new position in First Advantage in the 2nd quarter valued at $588,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in First Advantage in the 2nd quarter valued at $196,000. 94.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Advantage Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of FA stock opened at $20.32 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 3.85, a quick ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. First Advantage Co. has a twelve month low of $8.82 and a twelve month high of $25.15. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $20.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.33. The stock has a market cap of $3.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 677.33 and a beta of 1.16.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.06. 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 company earned $0.27 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.23-1.290 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 target price on shares of First Advantage in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Needham & Company LLC raised shares of First Advantage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of First Advantage from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of First Advantage from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Advantage

In other news, Director James Lindsey Clark sold 4,921 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.69, for a total transaction of $77,210.49. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 56,844 shares in the company, valued at $891,882.36. This trade represents a 7.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.