Insider Selling: First Advantage (NYSE:FA) President Sells 23,334 Shares of Stock

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) President Joelle Smith sold 23,334 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $350,010.00. Following the transaction, the president owned 19,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $290,895. The trade was a 54.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

First Advantage Stock Up 1.3%

First Advantage stock traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $15.96. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,987,760 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,153,215. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.89. The company has a market cap of $2.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 532.00 and a beta of 1.13. First Advantage Co. has a fifty-two week low of $8.82 and a fifty-two week high of $19.01. 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, beating 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 period in the prior year, the business posted $0.17 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Advantage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FA. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of First Advantage by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,954,320 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,757,000 after purchasing an additional 572,580 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in shares of First Advantage by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,098,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,204,000 after purchasing an additional 780,200 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in First Advantage by 2.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,613,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,179,000 after buying an additional 210,187 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in First Advantage by 18.4% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 6,225,825 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,815,000 after buying an additional 969,314 shares during the period. Finally, Cat Rock Capital Management LP increased its holdings in First Advantage by 8.9% in the fourth quarter. Cat Rock Capital Management LP now owns 3,342,818 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,571,000 after buying an additional 274,449 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

Key First Advantage News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Advantage delivered Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.26, topping estimates of $0.21, while revenue rose 8.6% year over year to $385.2 million and adjusted EBITDA increased 14.3%. First Advantage Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and expects margin expansion in the second half, which suggests improving profitability and execution. First Advantage reaffirms 2026 outlook while expecting adjusted EBITDA margins around 29% in 2H
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on First Advantage to $18 from $15 and reiterated an overweight rating, implying further upside from current levels. Benzinga report on JPMorgan price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: First Advantage said its management team will participate in upcoming investor conferences, which could help keep the stock in focus but does not change fundamentals on its own. First Advantage to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s FY 2026 guidance was reaffirmed rather than raised, and revenue guidance remains roughly in line with expectations, which tempers the near-term excitement. First Advantage keeps 2026 guidance, sees margin lift to 29%

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 price objective on shares of First Advantage in a research note on Friday. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of First Advantage from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Advantage currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.20.

About First Advantage

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.