First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Trading Down 5.7% – What’s Next?

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) was down 5.7% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $11.22 and last traded at $11.2550. Approximately 57,390 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 678,056 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.94.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Zacks Research cut shares of First Advantage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on First Advantage from $21.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.25.

First Advantage Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 3.85 and a quick ratio of 3.85. The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 374.67 and a beta of 1.17. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.40 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.89.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.02. 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 firm posted $0.26 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 105.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Advantage

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FA. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 2,853 shares during the period. North Star Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in First Advantage by 60.3% during the 4th quarter. North Star Asset Management Inc. now owns 253,661 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,686,000 after acquiring an additional 95,425 shares during the period. BloombergSen Inc. grew its position in First Advantage by 41.6% in the 4th quarter. BloombergSen Inc. now owns 377,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,481,000 after acquiring an additional 110,892 shares in the last quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in First Advantage by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Olstein Capital Management L.P. now owns 74,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the period. Finally, Van Berkom & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of First Advantage by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 96,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,399,000 after purchasing an additional 11,030 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

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.