Barclays Cuts First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Price Target to $14.00

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) had its price objective trimmed by Barclays from $18.00 to $14.00 in a research note published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. Zacks Research cut First Advantage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $18.25.

First Advantage Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FA opened at $11.51 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $13.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of 383.67 and a beta of 1.17. First Advantage has a fifty-two week low of $8.82 and a fifty-two week high of $19.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 3.85 and a current ratio of 3.85.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.04. First Advantage had a net margin of 0.65% and a return on equity of 13.16%. First Advantage’s revenue was up 36.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.18 EPS. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.150-1.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that First Advantage will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Advantage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in First Advantage by 22.8% during 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. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 4.3% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 35,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of First Advantage by 6.5% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 26,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $439,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 22.6% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 9,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in First Advantage by 29.1% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 8,088 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,000 after buying an additional 1,821 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

More First Advantage News

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.