First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Shares Gap Down – Here’s What Happened

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday. The stock had previously closed at $23.52, but opened at $21.22. First Advantage shares last traded at $21.1380, with a volume of 2,763,160 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of First Advantage in a report on Friday, November 6th. Citigroup lifted their price target on First Advantage from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of First Advantage from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 6th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of First Advantage from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of First Advantage from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Advantage presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $25.00.

First Advantage Stock Performance

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 company has a market cap of $3.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 718.33 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.67.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.04. First Advantage had a return on equity of 13.16% and a net margin of 0.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.30 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FA. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of First Advantage by 9.8% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 8,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 724 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 47.1% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,445 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Advantage by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 12,595 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 1,163 shares during the period. Glenmede Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of First Advantage by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 21,966 shares of the company’s stock worth $258,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the period. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Advantage by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 12,592 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 1,751 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

About First Advantage

First Advantage provides technology-enabled background screening and verification services to employers and other organizations. Its offerings include criminal-record searches, employment and education verification, identity checks, drug and health screening, and related compliance services used in hiring and workforce management. The company serves customers across North America and international markets, including businesses that need screening processes across multiple locations. Its services are designed to help organizations assess candidates and manage workplace-related risks.