First Advantage Corp Stock Beneish M Score

FA Stock  USD 18.60  0.05  0.27%   
This module uses fundamental data of First Advantage to approximate the value of its Beneish M Score. First Advantage M Score tells investors if the company management is likely to be manipulating earnings. The score is calculated using eight financial indicators that are adjusted by a specific multiplier. Please note, the M Score is a probabilistic model and cannot detect companies that manipulate their earnings with 100% accuracy. Check out First Advantage Piotroski F Score and First Advantage Altman Z Score analysis.
  
At present, First Advantage's Short Term Debt is projected to decrease significantly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Debt To Equity is expected to grow to 0.65, whereas Short and Long Term Debt Total is forecasted to decline to about 363.2 M. At present, First Advantage's Dividend Yield is projected to increase slightly based on the last few years of reporting. The current year's Stock Based Compensation To Revenue is expected to grow to 0.02, whereas Price To Sales Ratio is forecasted to decline to 2.97.
At this time, it appears that First Advantage Corp is an unlikely manipulator. The earnings manipulation may begin if First Advantage's top management creates an artificial sense of financial success, forcing the stock price to be traded at a high price-earnings multiple than it should be. In general, excessive earnings management by First Advantage executives may lead to removing some of the operating profits from subsequent periods to inflate earnings in the following periods. This way, the manipulation of First Advantage's earnings can lead to misrepresentations of actual financial condition, taking the otherwise loyal stakeholders on to the path of questionable ethical practices and plain fraud.
-2.99
Beneish M Score - Unlikely Manipulator
Elasticity of Receivables

1.21

Focus
Asset Quality

0.92

Focus
Expense Coverage

1.31

Focus
Gross Margin Strengs

0.96

Focus
Accruals Factor

1.31

Focus
Depreciation Resistance

0.9

Focus
Net Sales Growth

0.71

Focus
Financial Leverage Condition

1.28

Focus

First Advantage Beneish M-Score Indicator Trends

The cure to earnings manipulation is the transparency of financial reporting. It will typically remove the temptation of the top executives to inflate earnings (i.e., to promote the idea of 'winning at any cost'). Because a healthy internal audit department can enhance transparency, the board should promote the auditors' access to all the record-keeping systems across the enterprise. For example, if First Advantage's auditors report directly to the board (not management), the managers will be reluctant to manipulate simply due to the fear of punishment. On the other hand, the auditors will be free to investigate the ledgers properly because they know that the board has their back.
Current ValueLast YearChange From Last Year 10 Year Trend
Net Receivables126.1 M146.4 M
Fairly Down
Slightly volatile
Total Revenue544.5 M763.8 M
Way Down
Slightly volatile
Total Assets987.9 M1.6 B
Way Down
Slightly volatile
Total Current Assets277.1 M373.7 M
Way Down
Slightly volatile
Non Current Assets Total784.7 M1.3 B
Way Down
Slightly volatile
Property Plant Equipment120.3 M142.8 M
Fairly Down
Slightly volatile
Selling General Administrative107.3 M114.8 M
Significantly Down
Slightly volatile
Total Current Liabilities111.4 M85 M
Significantly Up
Slightly volatile
Non Current Liabilities Total670.8 M638.9 M
Sufficiently Up
Slightly volatile
Net Debt229.7 M354 M
Way Down
Very volatile
Short Term Debt10.7 M6.7 M
Way Up
Very volatile
Long Term Debt478.3 M558.5 M
Fairly Down
Pretty Stable
Total Cash From Operating Activities104 M162.8 M
Way Down
Slightly volatile
Short Term Investments1.9 MM
Notably Down
Slightly volatile
Gross Profit Margin0.250.2596
Sufficiently Down
Slightly volatile

First Advantage Corp Beneish M-Score Driver Matrix

One of the toughest challenges investors face today is learning how to quickly synthesize historical financial statements and information provided by the company, SEC reporting, and various external parties in order to detect the potential manipulation of earnings. Understanding the correlation between First Advantage's different financial indicators related to revenue, expenses, operating profit, and net earnings helps investors identify and prioritize their investing strategies towards First Advantage in a much-optimized way. Analyzing correlations between earnings drivers directly associated with dollar figures is the most effective way to find First Advantage's degree of accounting gimmicks and manipulations.

About First Advantage Beneish M Score

M-Score is one of many grading techniques for value stocks. It was developed by Professor M. Daniel Beneish of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and published in 1999 under the paper titled The Detection of Earnings Manipulation. The Beneish score is a multi-factor model that utilizes financial identifiers to compile eight variables used to classify whether a company has manipulated its reported earnings. The variables are built from the officially filed financial statements to create a final score call 'M Score.' The score helps to identify companies that are likely to manipulate their profits if they show deteriorating gross margins, operating expenses, and leverage against growing revenue.

Current Deferred Revenue

1.76 Million

At present, First Advantage's Current Deferred Revenue is projected to decrease significantly based on the last few years of reporting.

First Advantage ESG Sustainability

Some studies have found that companies with high sustainability scores are getting higher valuations than competitors with lower social-engagement activities. While most ESG disclosures are voluntary and do not directly affect the long term financial condition, First Advantage's sustainability indicators can be used to identify proper investment strategies using environmental, social, and governance scores that are crucial to First Advantage's managers, analysts, and investors.
Environmental
Governance
Social

About First Advantage Fundamental Analysis

The Macroaxis Fundamental Analysis modules help investors analyze First Advantage Corp's financials across various querterly and yearly statements, indicators and fundamental ratios. We help investors to determine the real value of First Advantage using virtually all public information available. We use both quantitative as well as qualitative analysis to arrive at the intrinsic value of First Advantage Corp based on its fundamental data. In general, a quantitative approach, as applied to this company, focuses on analyzing financial statements comparatively, whereas a qaualitative method uses data that is important to a company's growth but cannot be measured and presented in a numerical way.
Please read more on our fundamental analysis page.

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Analyzing currently trending equities could be an opportunity to develop a better portfolio based on different market momentums that they can trigger. Utilizing the top trending stocks is also useful when creating a market-neutral strategy or pair trading technique involving a short or a long position in a currently trending equity.
Check out First Advantage Piotroski F Score and First Advantage Altman Z Score analysis.
You can also try the Equity Forecasting module to use basic forecasting models to generate price predictions and determine price momentum.
Is Human Resource & Employment Services space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of First Advantage. If investors know First will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about First Advantage listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
(0.85)
Earnings Share
0.03
Revenue Per Share
5.259
Quarterly Revenue Growth
(0.01)
Return On Assets
0.0309
The market value of First Advantage Corp is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of First that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of First Advantage's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is First Advantage's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because First Advantage's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect First Advantage's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between First Advantage's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if First Advantage is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, First Advantage's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.