Palisade Capital Management LP Acquires New Holdings in First Advantage Co. $FA

Palisade Capital Management LP bought a new stake in First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 805,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,533,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. KBC Group NV purchased a new stake in shares of First Advantage in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 47.1% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 2,445 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 783 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp purchased a new position in shares of First Advantage during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Advantage by 192.8% during the 4th 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 period. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in First Advantage in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.91% of the company’s stock.

First Advantage Stock Performance

Shares of FA stock opened at $20.32 on Wednesday. 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 Co. has a 52 week low of $8.82 and a 52 week high of $25.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a PE ratio of 677.33 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $20.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.33.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.06. 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 earned $0.27 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. First Advantage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.23-1.290 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup upped their price target on First Advantage from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Zacks Research upgraded First Advantage from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on First Advantage from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Needham & Company LLC upgraded First Advantage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on First Advantage from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.33.

Insider Transactions at First Advantage

In related news, Director James Lindsey Clark sold 4,921 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 56,844 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $891,882.36. The trade was a 7.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 4.40% of the company’s stock.

First Advantage 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.