FA

BuyHot Air

First Advantage Corporation · Industrials · United States · $3.6B cap · $36.1M/day traded

$21.25 +0.0% · close 26 Oct · scored 27 Oct

StockRank down 3.5 since 24 Oct: Value down 3.

Hot Air: Rising on momentum alone: weak business, rich price.

66
StockRank
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Report expected 5 Nov: the next-year EPS estimate has risen 5.4% over the last 14 weeks.

Quality
42
Value
33
Momentum
85

As of 27 Oct 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for First Advantage Corporation (FA) is 66/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 42, Value 33, Momentum 85, each scored against its sector).

Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how every decile did, whichever way it went. See the record →

P/E (TTM)
151.8x
peers 25.9x
ROE
1.9%
peers 8.9%
D/E
1.6x
peers 0.6x
Dividend %
—
trailing yield

ABOUT FIRST ADVANTAGE CORPORATION

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First Advantage Corporation is a global provider of technology-driven background check and drug screening solutions for employers. It offers a comprehensive suite of services including criminal background checks, employment verification, and drug testing to facilitate hiring decisions. The company is a market leader in its sector, benefiting from a vast database, advanced analytics, and extensive regulatory compliance expertise, serving a wide array of industries.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)

Year2022202320242025CAGRTTM2026E2027EFwd CAGR
Revenue810.0M763.8M860.2M1.6B24.8%1.7B1.7B1.8B7.5%
EPS0.430.26-0.74-0.20-39.5%0.14———
Shares148.7M145.1M173.2M174.2M+17.1%171.8M———
Debt569.5M567.7M2.2B2.1B54.2%2.0B———
Equity1.1B906.7M1.3B1.3B5.3%————
Op CF212.8M162.8M28.2M195.1M-2.8%261.3M———
Inv CF-48.6M-66.8M-1.7B-54.1M—————
Fin CF-59.2M-273.6M1.6B-70.8M—————
Loading 1Y...
PRICE (1Y) · USD-1.8%
17.618.619.620.621.615 Sep6 Oct26 Oct
SMA 50SMA 200

Price checkNo clear trendExperimental

No clear trend: not near its 52-week low, and not in a steady uptrend.

SwingsVery bumpy

Swung more than 76% of stocks we rank over the past year (62% a year).

How this is worked out

StockRank judges the business. The price check reads only the chart: it is the price side of the Momentum score, in words.

The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.

In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn like this one cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.

What it measures: day-to-day price moves over the past year, as a yearly figure, ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.

What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.

Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.

Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.

Close
$21.25
RSI (14)
73.8
52-Week Range-15.5% from high
Low $8.82High $25.15

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Quality
42
ROIC
4.9%28.4
ROE
1.9%22.6
GP/Assets
19.6%57.4
Op. Margin
12.8%70.5
FCF/Assets
5.4%65.1
Piotroski
534.4
Int. Cover
1.3x16.8
D/E Ratio
1.58x9.7
Current Ratio
2.53x74.6
Value
33
P/E (TTM)
151.8x4.6
EV/EBITDA
12.9x43.3
P/FCF
17.6x52.4
P/B
2.8x34.0
P/S
2.2x36.3
Div Yield
—N/A
Momentum
85
52W High %
84%73.7
RS 6M
62%96.0
SMA 50/200
1.24x93.8
EPS Rev 4W
0.0%54.0
EPS Rev 12W
+5.4%82.8
EPS Improve
+976%97.7
Q Growth
5392%99.6

FUNDAMENTALS

Market Cap
$3.6B
P/E (Forward)
14.1x
Gross Margin
45.2%

SECTOR PEERS

Closest peers in Industrials, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of FA are excluded.

TickerCompanyMkt CapStockRankSignal
FAFirst Advantage Corporation(you)$3.6B66Buy
AZZAZZ Inc.$4.0B66Buy
UNFUniFirst Corporation$5.1B60Hold
CBZCBIZ, Inc.$3.0B81Strong Buy
DLBDolby Laboratories, Inc.$5.9B76Buy
MMSMaximus, Inc.$3.3B84Strong Buy
ABMABM Industries Incorporated$3.1B86Strong Buy
AMTMAmentum Holdings, Inc.$5.3B51Hold
ARMKAramark$13.9B61Hold
LZLegalZoom.com, Inc.$1.2B56Hold

Peer medians: ROE 8.9% · P/E 25.9x · Gross margin 29.2%

Company Deep Dive

Business segments breakdown, earnings transcript analysis, management credibility scoring, competitive landscape, and scenario modelling.

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First Advantage Corporation (FA): Stock Score Summary

First Advantage Corporation (FA) has a MoatMap StockRank of 66/100 based on Quality (42/100), Value (33/100), and Momentum (85/100) factor scores. The current signal is BUY.

First Advantage Corporation is a global provider of technology-driven background check and drug screening solutions for employers. It offers a comprehensive suite of services including criminal background checks, employment verification, and drug testing to facilitate hiring decisions. The company is a market leader in its sector, benefiting from a vast database, advanced analytics, and extensive regulatory compliance expertise, serving a wide array of industries.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$21.25
Market Cap$3.6B
P/E (TTM)151.79
P/E (Forward)14.11
Price/Book2.82
Return on Equity1.9%
Return on Invested Capital4.9%
Debt/Equity1.58x
Gross Margin45.2%
Operating Margin12.8%
Revenue Growth14.9%
Free Cash Flow$208M

First Advantage Corporation operates in the Specialty Business Services industry, part of the Industrials sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is First Advantage Corporation’s (FA) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for First Advantage Corporation (FA) is 66/100, with a Buy signal. It is a composite of Quality (42), Value (33), and Momentum (85), each scored against its sector. The composite is then ranked across MoatMap’s universe of 24,000+ stocks.
Does First Advantage Corporation have an economic moat?
First Advantage Corporation (FA) has a Quality factor score of 42/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is First Advantage Corporation a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for First Advantage Corporation (FA) is Buy, based on a StockRank of 66/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is First Advantage Corporation in?
First Advantage Corporation (FA) operates in the Industrials sector, specifically the Specialty Business Services industry (United States).