First Advantage (NYSE:FA) Given New $34.00 Price Target at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays raised its First Advantage price target to $34 from $30 and maintained an Overweight rating, implying about 44.7% upside from the share price cited in the report.
• First Advantage reported quarterly EPS of $0.38, beating the $0.34 consensus, while revenue grew 13.8% year over year. The company also raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $1.72 billion–$1.745 billion.
• Analyst views remain mixed: the stock carries an overall Hold rating and an average price target of $24.57, despite recent target increases from Barclays and Needham. First Advantage also agreed to acquire Data Diver Technologies for approximately $125 million.

First Advantage (NYSE:FA - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Barclays from $30.00 to $34.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Barclays's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 44.67% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on FA. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of First Advantage in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on First Advantage from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on First Advantage from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research cut First Advantage from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on First Advantage from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $24.57.

First Advantage Stock Performance

Shares of First Advantage stock traded up $0.37 on Friday, hitting $23.50. 263,732 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,531,919. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $20.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.04 billion, a PE ratio of 783.03 and a beta of 1.12. First Advantage has a 1 year low of $8.82 and a 1 year high of $25.15. 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.04. First Advantage had a return on equity of 13.16% and a net margin of 0.65%. First Advantage's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that First Advantage will post 0.74 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Advantage

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in First Advantage by 13.8% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 18,881 shares of the company's stock worth $336,000 after purchasing an additional 2,287 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its stake in First Advantage by 82.7% in the third quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 20,948 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 9,483 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund purchased a new position in shares of First Advantage during the third quarter valued at approximately $851,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Advantage during the third quarter valued at approximately $469,000. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of First Advantage by 18.4% during the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 21,200 shares of the company's stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 3,300 shares during 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: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.38 per share, topping the $0.34 consensus and rising from $0.30 a year earlier. Revenue increased 13.8% year over year. First Advantage Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 guidance and expects revenue of $1.72 billion to $1.745 billion, supporting the growth outlook. First Advantage 2026 revenue outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target to $30 from $28 and maintained a Buy rating. The new target implies about 28% upside from the referenced $23.40 share price. Needham analyst ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: First Advantage acquired Data Diver Technologies for approximately $125 million. The AI- and automation-powered data platform fits the company’s proprietary data and technology strategy, while adding an investment to execute and integrate. First Advantage acquires Data Diver Technologies

About First Advantage

First Advantage Corporation NYSE: FA is a global human capital and background screening company that helps employers make informed hiring, onboarding and workforce-management decisions. Its technology and services are used by organizations across industries to assess candidates and support compliance throughout the employment lifecycle.

The company provides employment background checks, criminal-record searches, employment and education verification, identity services, drug and health screening, driving-record checks, international screening and continuous workforce monitoring.

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