First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Price Target Cut to $14.00 by Analysts at Barclays

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) had its price objective cut by Barclays from $18.00 to $14.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on FA. Zacks Research cut First Advantage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of First Advantage from $21.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $18.25.

First Advantage Stock Performance

Shares of First Advantage stock traded down $0.18 during trading on Friday, reaching $11.51. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,009,624 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,070,706. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $13.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.19. First Advantage has a fifty-two week low of $8.82 and a fifty-two week high of $19.01. The firm has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of 383.67 and a beta of 1.17. 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 (NYSE:FA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.04. First Advantage had a return on equity of 13.16% and a net margin of 0.65%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 36.8% compared to the same quarter last year. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that First Advantage will post 0.74 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Advantage

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FA. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of First Advantage by 192.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 4,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 2,853 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in First Advantage in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $81,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in First Advantage by 22.8% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 7,164 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 1,328 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of First Advantage by 105.7% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,166 shares of the company’s stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 3,682 shares during the period. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 503.2% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,932 shares of the company’s stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 6,617 shares during the last quarter. 94.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Advantage News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting First Advantage this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat — First Advantage reported $0.30 EPS vs. consensus $0.26 and revenue grew ~36.8% year-over-year, signaling strong topline momentum and margin improvement. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: $100M buyback and raised revenue ambition — Management outlined a $1.625B–$1.7B 2026 revenue target and authorized a $100M share buyback, which can support EPS and investor sentiment amid the company’s digital-identity growth narrative. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance roughly in line — First Advantage set FY26 EPS of $1.150–$1.250 versus a consensus near $1.170; revenue guidance roughly meets or slightly exceeds Street expectations, so guidance is not a major surprise. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials available — Management commentary, the earnings presentation and transcript are posted (useful for investors wanting color on digital-identity growth, margin levers and buyback timing). Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays trims price target — Barclays cut its target from $18 to $14 and assigned an “equal weight” rating; while the new $14 target still implies upside vs. current levels, the cut signals more cautious near-term analyst sentiment. Read More.

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.