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First Advantage (FA) earnings and revenue breakdown
Latest: Q3 2026 · 10-Q filed Nov 5, 2026 · First Advantage (FA) Q3 2026 earnings results →
Q3 2026 Revenue up 14% year over year to $466M · 4¢ of every $1 of revenue kept as net profit · operating margin 12.9%
First Advantage made $466M in Q3 2026 (+14% Y/Y): First Advantage Americas $230M, Sterling $210M, First Advantage International $25.7M. Operating margin 12.9%, net earnings $20.5M. See where every dollar goes — costs, profit and cash — as a Sankey from the 10-Q filed Nov 5, 2026.
Drawing the Sankey…
Open the interactive Sankey → click any line for what the company wrote about it, compare Y/Y and Q/Q, export as PNG or PDF
What changed this quarter
Revenue was $465.8M in Q3 2026, up 14% year over year and up 4% from the previous quarter. First Advantage Americas was the largest line at 49% of revenue. First Advantage Americas added $47.9M year over year (up 26%), 85% of the total change. First Advantage International declined 9%.
Operating profit was $60.1M, a 12.9% margin (up 2.6 points year over year). Of the extra revenue versus Q3 2025, 32% reached operating profit, above the 10% margin then. Total costs grew 11% against revenue growth of 14%. The fastest-growing cost line was Other operating costs (+13%). Net earnings were $20.5M, up 690% year over year. The effective tax rate was 29.5%.
Operating cash flow was $63.8M (down 12% year over year), 311% of net earnings. Non-cash charges added back $28.3M of depreciation and amortization and $5.1M of share-based compensation. Working capital and other items added $9.9M. Capital expenditures of $3.6M left free cash flow of $60.2M.
Quarterly history
| Quarter | Form | Filed | Revenue | Y/Y | Op. margin | Net earnings | Op. cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 10-Q | Nov 5, 2026 | $466M | +14% | 12.9% | $20.5M | $63.8M |
| Q2 2026 | 10-Q | Aug 6, 2026 | $449M | +15% | 12.7% | $16.9M | $73.6M |
| Q1 2026 | 10-Q | May 7, 2026 | $385M | +9% | 8.7% | $2.2M | $49.4M |
| Q4 2025 | 10-K | Feb 26, 2026 | $420M | +37% | 10.7% | $3.5M | $65.9M |
| Q3 2025 | 10-Q | Nov 6, 2025 | $409M | +106% | 10.3% | $2.6M | $72.4M |
| Q2 2025 | 10-Q | Aug 7, 2025 | $391M | +112% | 9.7% | $308K | $37.3M |
| Q1 2025 | 10-Q | May 8, 2025 | $355M | +109% | 2.1% | −$41.2M | $19.5M |
Charts
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💵Where each $1 goesinteractive
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🌏Named in Asian annual reportsinteractive
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🔄Rotation against the market and its industry (RRG)interactive
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⚖️Fair value by methodinteractive
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🔭Outlook & guidanceinteractive
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📈Investments: gains and what it boughtinteractive
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🏭Its industry’s money flow (input-output)interactive
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About First Advantage
First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA) is a global software and data company. We provide comprehensive, end-to-end identity solutions, criminal background screening, credential verifications, drug and health screening, and continuous risk monitoring. Combining AI-powered proprietary technology platforms with proprietary data, primary source data, and third-party data, we help organizations hire with confidence and manage risk across the entire employee lifecycle. With over 80,000 customers worldwide – including approximately two-thirds of the Fortune 100 – we deliver fast, comprehensive, and reliable solutions for employers, their candidates, and their employees. We conduct more than 200 million screens annually across over 200 countries and territories, supported by our verticalized go-to-market strategy, decades of experience, and proprietary databases containing over 1 billion records.
In its own words, from its 8-K, filed Aug 6, 2026.
First Advantage against its Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation peers
The largest companies of the same SEC industry, each at its latest quarter. Revenue growth: +14% against the peers' median +6%. Operating margin: 12.9% against the peers' median 12.9%.
| Company | Quarter | Revenue | Y/Y | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA First Advantage | Q3 2026 | $466M | +14% | 12.9% |
| ADP Automatic Data Processing | Q1 FY27 | $5.5B | +6% | 23.9% |
| DXC DXC Technology | Q2 FY27 | $3.0B | -4% | 6.2% |
| WDAY Workday | Q2 FY27 | $2.6B | +13% | 11.8% |
| TOST Toast | Q3 2026 | $2.0B | +21% | 8.3% |
| RDDT Reddit | Q3 2026 | $895M | +53% | 29.2% |
| VRSK Verisk Analytics | Q3 2026 | $809M | +5% | 45.2% |
| RNG RingCentral | Q3 2026 | $676M | +6% | 8.0% |
| PLTK Playtika Holding | Q3 2026 | $674M | -0.1% | 17.2% |
Source: First Advantage 10-Q on SEC EDGAR · CIK 1210677 · Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation
13F: who owns FA and who is buying
More on FA
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- First Advantage next earnings date and what analysts expect
- First Advantage stock forecast, price target and fair value
- Who owns First Advantage stock: holders, funds and Congress trades
- First Advantage guidance and outlook
- Is First Advantage a takeover target? LBO and rumors
- First Advantage recalls, complaints and regulation
History
Every quarter: Q3 2026 results · Q2 2026 results · Q1 2026 results · Q4 2025 results · Q3 2025 results · Q2 2025 results · Q1 2025 results
- First Advantage guidance history: guided vs reported
- First Advantage operating margin by quarter
- First Advantage net income by quarter
- First Advantage free cash flow by quarter
- First Advantage R&D spending by quarter
- First Advantage capital expenditures by quarter
- First Advantage First Advantage Americas revenue by quarter
- First Advantage Sterling revenue by quarter
- First Advantage First Advantage International revenue by quarter