Joelle Smith Sells 23,334 Shares of First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Stock

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) President Joelle 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 completion of the transaction, the president directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

First Advantage Price Performance

Shares of FA opened at $15.96 on Friday. 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $11.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.89.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last issued 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%. First Advantage’s quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.17 earnings per share. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on FA. Barclays boosted their target price on First Advantage from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $18.00 price objective on First Advantage in a research note on Friday. Citigroup lowered their price objective on First Advantage from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Advantage

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in First Advantage during the 4th quarter worth about $257,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 35,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after acquiring an additional 1,471 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 239,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,371,000 after acquiring an additional 16,664 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Advantage during the 2nd quarter worth about $167,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of First Advantage by 627.7% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 67,178 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,116,000 after acquiring an additional 57,946 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting First Advantage

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%

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.