First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Hits New 12-Month Low – What’s Next?

First Advantage Co. (NYSE:FA) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $11.89 and last traded at $12.0510, with a volume of 200881 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.18.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on FA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of First Advantage from $21.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of First Advantage from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.25.

First Advantage Stock Down 0.9%

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 405.33 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $14.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.97. 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.02. First Advantage had a net margin of 0.65% and a return on equity of 13.16%. First Advantage’s revenue was up 105.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.26 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that First Advantage Co. will post 0.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in shares of First Advantage by 19.6% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,896,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,866,000 after buying an additional 474,634 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in First Advantage by 3.8% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,562,204 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,558,000 after acquiring an additional 94,220 shares in the last quarter. BloombergSen Inc. increased its holdings in First Advantage by 100.4% in the 3rd quarter. BloombergSen Inc. now owns 266,324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,099,000 after acquiring an additional 133,436 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in First Advantage by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 548,611 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,112,000 after acquiring an additional 79,211 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in First Advantage by 16.2% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,818,904 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,215,000 after buying an additional 253,773 shares during the last quarter. 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.