FA
IndustrialsFirst Advantage Corporation · Specialty Business Services · $3B
What is First Advantage Corporation?
First Advantage Corporation is a technology-driven provider of background screening, identity verification, and compliance solutions serving employers worldwide. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company helps organizations make informed hiring decisions at scale.
First Advantage generates revenue by delivering screening and verification services to employers across the full employee lifecycle. Its pre-onboarding suite covers criminal background checks, drug testing, identity verification, and credential checks. Post-onboarding, it offers ongoing monitoring services including criminal records tracking and healthcare sanctions screening. Clients range from global enterprises to small businesses, spanning industries where workforce safety and compliance are critical.
First Advantage Corporation was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Criminal background checks and identity verification
- Drug and health screening services
- Education, employment history, and credential verification
- Post-onboarding monitoring and compliance solutions
Is FA a Good Stock to Buy?
UQS Score rates FA as Good overall, reflecting a mixed but noteworthy profile across its five pillars.
The Growth pillar stands out as a clear strength, suggesting First Advantage is expanding its business at a pace that compares favorably within its sector. The Risk pillar also earns a Good label, indicating the company's financial risk profile is relatively well-managed. Valuation is rated Attractive, meaning the stock does not appear richly priced relative to its fundamentals.
Both the Quality and Moat pillars register as Weak, pointing to areas where the business may lack durable competitive advantages and where profitability metrics trail sector peers.
See the exact pillar breakdown and full financial metrics by signing up for a UQS Pro account. Sign up free →
Past performance does not guarantee future results. UQS Score is based on fundamental data and is not a buy/sell recommendation.
Does FA pay dividends?
No — First Advantage Corporation does not currently pay a dividend.
First Advantage does not currently pay a dividend. As a growth-oriented technology and services company, it prioritizes reinvesting capital into expanding its screening platform, developing new verification capabilities, and pursuing strategic opportunities rather than returning cash to shareholders through distributions.
When does FA report earnings?
First Advantage reports earnings on a quarterly cadence, consistent with standard practice for US-listed equities.
The company's Strong Growth pillar label suggests its revenue trajectory has been meaningful relative to sector peers. Investors should monitor how demand for screening and compliance services evolves as hiring activity fluctuates across industries.
For the most recent quarter's results, visit First Advantage Corporation's investor relations page directly.
FA Price History
-26.1% over 5Y
Monthly close, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment.
What if I invested in First Advantage Corporation?
Based on First Advantage Corporation's historical closing prices, adjusted for stock splits and dividend reinvestment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
FA Long-term Outlook
First Advantage's Strong Growth pillar points to a business that has been expanding its footprint in the background screening market. The Good Risk label suggests the company is navigating its growth phase without excessive financial strain. However, the Weak Moat pillar is a consideration for long-term durability — sustaining growth may require continued investment in technology differentiation.
Growth drivers
- Increasing employer demand for comprehensive pre-hire screening and identity verification
- Expansion of post-onboarding monitoring services across regulated industries
- Cross-sell opportunities within existing enterprise and mid-market client relationships
Key risks
- Limited competitive moat may expose the company to pricing pressure from rivals
- Hiring slowdowns in key end markets could reduce screening volumes
- Elevated investment requirements to maintain technology relevance in a competitive landscape
FA vs Peers
First Advantage operates in a competitive landscape alongside other workforce services and compliance-focused companies.
ABM focuses on facility and workforce services rather than digital screening, serving clients through on-site operational solutions.
TIC Solutions targets compliance and risk management services, competing in adjacent areas of workforce risk mitigation.
CBIZ provides a broad range of business services including HR, benefits, and compliance consulting, overlapping with First Advantage in the employer services space.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does First Advantage Corporation do?
First Advantage provides technology-powered background screening, identity verification, drug testing, and compliance solutions to employers globally. Its services help companies make safer, more informed hiring decisions across the full employee lifecycle, from pre-onboarding checks to ongoing post-hire monitoring.
Does FA pay dividends?
No, First Advantage does not currently pay a dividend. The company reinvests its resources into growing its screening platform and expanding its service capabilities rather than distributing cash to shareholders.
When does FA report earnings?
First Advantage reports on a quarterly cadence, in line with standard US-listed company practice. For the most current earnings schedule and results, check the investor relations section of the company's official website.
Is FA a good stock to buy?
UQS Score rates FA as Good overall. The Growth pillar is Strong and Valuation is Attractive, but the Quality and Moat pillars are both Weak. Whether FA fits your portfolio depends on your risk tolerance and investment goals — view the full pillar breakdown on UQS Pro for a deeper look.
Is FA overvalued?
The UQS Valuation pillar for FA is rated Attractive, suggesting the stock is not considered richly priced relative to its fundamentals at the time of scoring. Valuation assessments can shift as business conditions and market pricing evolve.
How does FA compare to its competitors?
First Advantage competes with companies like ABM Industries, TIC Solutions, and CBIZ in adjacent areas of workforce and compliance services. FA differentiates through its technology-first approach to screening and verification, though its Weak Moat rating suggests competitive advantages may not yet be deeply entrenched.
What is FA's market cap bracket?
First Advantage is classified as a mid-cap company. This places it in a segment of the market that often balances growth potential with more established operations than smaller peers, while remaining more agile than large-cap incumbents.
Who founded First Advantage Corporation?
First Advantage was founded in 2003. The company was previously known as Fastball Intermediate, Inc. before rebranding to First Advantage Corporation in March 2021. Founding leadership details are publicly available through the company's official filings and history.
Is FA a long-term quality indicator?
As a long-term quality indicator, FA presents a mixed picture. Its Strong Growth and Good Risk pillars are encouraging for sustained expansion, but the Weak Quality and Moat pillars suggest the business has not yet demonstrated the durable competitive advantages typically associated with high-conviction long-term holdings.
What is the main competitive advantage of First Advantage Corporation?
First Advantage's primary edge lies in its broad, technology-integrated screening platform that serves clients across the full hiring lifecycle. However, the UQS Moat pillar is currently rated Weak, indicating that this advantage may not yet be strongly differentiated from competing providers in the market.
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Pro Analysis
FA — Score History
| Date | UQS | Quality | Moat | Growth | Risk | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2026 | 58.0 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 96.9 | 0.0 |
| Apr 19, 2026 | 58.0 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 97.2 | -0.1 |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 58.1 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 97.8 | +0.1 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 58.0 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 97.2 | -0.1 |
| Apr 12, 2026 | 58.1 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 97.7 | 0.0 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 58.1 | 31.8 | 24.0 | 89.5 | 77.1 | 97.5 | — |
FA — Pillar Breakdown
Quality
— 34.8/100 (25%)First Advantage Corporation currently shows below-average quality metrics, suggesting challenges with profitability.
How effectively capital is deployed to generate returns.
Profitability relative to shareholders' equity.
Ability to convert revenue into operating profit.
Bottom-line profit as a share of revenue.
Asset productivity — how much gross profit each dollar of assets generates.
Free cash flow relative to market value.
Growth
— 90.4/100 (20%)First Advantage Corporation is growing rapidly with strong revenue and earnings expansion.
Revenue trajectory over the last twelve months.
Compound annual revenue growth rate over 3 years.
Year-over-year earnings per share growth.
Analyst consensus for future revenue growth.
Analyst consensus for future earnings growth.
Risk
— 79.1/100 (15%)First Advantage Corporation carries minimal financial risk with conservative leverage and strong solvency.
Debt levels relative to earnings capacity.
Total debt relative to shareholder equity.
Short-term liquidity — ability to pay near-term obligations.
Earnings capacity relative to interest payments.
Valuation
— 93.4/100 (15%)First Advantage Corporation appears attractively valued relative to its earnings, cash flows, and sector peers.
Inverse of forward P/E — higher yield means cheaper stock.
How many years of FCF the market cap represents.
P/E relative to earnings growth — lower is more attractive.
Enterprise value multiple relative to sector median.
Moat
— 24/100 (25%)First Advantage Corporation operates in a highly competitive environment with limited sustainable advantages. The Moat pillar evaluates competitive advantages across five dimensions: Switching Costs, Network Effects, Cost Advantage, Intangible Assets, and Scale & Ecosystem. Sign in to customize moat ratings for FA.
Score Composition
Financial Data
More Stock Analysis
How is the FA UQS Score Calculated?
The UQS (Unified Quality Score) for First Advantage Corporation is calculated using a proprietary 6-pillar framework with 29 financial metrics. Each pillar evaluates a different dimension on a 0–100 scale, then combines into a single weighted score. Scoring thresholds are calibrated per sector. Momentum is an optional Pro toggle — without it, you get the 5-pillar / 25-metric core shown below.
Quality (25%) measures profitability and capital efficiency — ROIC, ROE, margins, GP/Assets, and FCF Yield.
Moat (25%) assesses First Advantage Corporation's competitive advantages across switching costs, network effects, cost advantages, intangible assets, and ecosystem scale.
Growth (20%) tracks revenue trajectory and earnings momentum, combining historical results with analyst forward estimates.
Risk (15%) is inversely scored — lower leverage and strong balance sheet health result in higher scores.
Valuation (15%) measures whether First Advantage Corporation is fairly priced using earnings yield, price-to-FCF, PEG ratio, and EV/EBITDA relative to sector peers.
Six investor-inspired presets are available, each with different pillar weights: Balanced, Buffett, Munger, Lynch, Cathie Wood, and Graham. The public score shown here uses the Balanced preset. Learn more in our FAQ.