# First Advantage Corporation (FA) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Industrials / Professional Services. Price $21.38, market value $3.7 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 142.5×** (5-yr avg 82.3×, 3-yr avg 63.7×). First Advantage Corporation trades at 142.5× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 82.3×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Industrials median in the September 2026 study was 25.7×. Forward P/E is 14.2×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 0.19**. A PEG of 0.19 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 2.2×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 2.2×.
- **Price / book: 2.8×**. The shares trade at 2.8× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 19.0×**. Enterprise value is 19.0× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 6.8%** (5-yr avg 6.5%). Free cash flow equals 6.8% of the market value, in line with its five-year average of 6.5%. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 0.7%**. The inverse of the P/E: 0.7% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 10.7%**. 10.7% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: -2.2%**. The company reported a net loss over the last twelve months.
- **Return on equity: -2.7%**. Return on equity is negative because earnings are negative.
- **Return on invested capital: 4.5%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 4.5%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: 0.7%**. Each dollar of assets produces 0.7% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 83.0%** (3-yr 24.8%/yr, 5-yr 26.7%/yr). Revenue grew 83.0% over the last year, against 26.7% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 73.0%**. Earnings per share rose 73.0%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -3.0%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -3.0% a year over three years.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 1.58**. Debt is 1.58 times equity, a leveraged balance sheet that needs steady cash flow to service.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 6.4×**. It would take 6.4 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, above the 3× level most lenders treat as comfortable.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.88**. A Z-score of 1.88 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend: none**. First Advantage Corporation does not currently pay a dividend.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (8 analysts). 8 analysts cover First Advantage Corporation; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $26.25 (+23% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 33.8%** (YTD 47.1%, 3-mo 34.6%). The shares are up 33.8% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -15.0%** (142.4% above the low). Trading 15% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 54**. An RSI of 54 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.56** (volatility 61%). Beta of 0.56 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=FA · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/fa

Not investment advice.