First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Stock Price Up 4.7% – What’s Next?

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) shares rose 4.7% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $20.35 and last traded at $20.4680. Approximately 36,108 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average daily volume of 1,298,379 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.54.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on First Advantage from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 price target on shares of First Advantage in a report on Friday, May 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.50.

First Advantage Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $3.63 billion, a PE ratio of 705.00 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. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $13.92.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.05. 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 company posted $0.17 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 transaction of $350,010.00. Following the sale, the president owned 19,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $290,895. This trade represents a 54.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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 the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.69, for a total transaction of $77,210.49. Following the sale, the director owned 56,844 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $891,882.36. This 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. Corporate insiders own 4.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FA. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in First Advantage during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in First Advantage by 47.1% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,445 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 783 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new position in shares of First Advantage during the first quarter worth about $45,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 192.8% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 4,333 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 2,853 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of First Advantage during the second quarter worth about $81,000. 94.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.