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Side-by-side financial comparison of FIRST ADVANTAGE CORP (FA) and FactSet (FDS). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

FactSet is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($607.6M vs $420.0M, roughly 1.4× FIRST ADVANTAGE CORP). FactSet runs the higher net margin — 25.1% vs 0.8%, a 24.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, FIRST ADVANTAGE CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (36.8% vs 6.9%). FactSet produced more free cash flow last quarter ($90.4M vs $62.2M). Over the past eight quarters, FIRST ADVANTAGE CORP's revenue compounded faster (57.5% CAGR vs 5.5%).

First Advantage Corp is a leading global provider of end-to-end workforce screening and background verification solutions. It serves clients across diverse sectors including technology, healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing, ranging from small businesses to large multinational enterprises, helping reduce hiring risks, meet regulatory requirements, and build secure, trusted work environments globally.

FactSet Research Systems Inc., trading as FactSet, is an American financial data and software company headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States. The company provides integrated data and software. For fiscal year 2024, FactSet's total ASV and professional services revenues were $2.2 billion. FactSet's total market value is approximately $17 billion.

FA vs FDS — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
FDS
FDS
1.4× larger
FDS
$607.6M
$420.0M
FA
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
FA
FA
+29.9% gap
FA
36.8%
6.9%
FDS
Higher net margin
FDS
FDS
24.3% more per $
FDS
25.1%
0.8%
FA
More free cash flow
FDS
FDS
$28.3M more FCF
FDS
$90.4M
$62.2M
FA
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
FA
FA
Annualised
FA
57.5%
5.5%
FDS

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Revenue
$420.0M
$607.6M
Net Profit
$3.5M
$152.6M
Gross Margin
52.6%
Operating Margin
10.7%
31.6%
Net Margin
0.8%
25.1%
Revenue YoY
36.8%
6.9%
Net Profit YoY
103.5%
1.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.03
$4.06

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$420.0M
$607.6M
Q3 25
$409.2M
$596.9M
Q2 25
$390.6M
$585.5M
Q1 25
$354.6M
$570.7M
Q4 24
$307.1M
$568.7M
Q3 24
$199.1M
$562.2M
Q2 24
$184.5M
$552.7M
Q1 24
$169.4M
$545.9M
Net Profit
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$3.5M
$152.6M
Q3 25
$2.6M
$153.6M
Q2 25
$308.0K
$148.5M
Q1 25
$-41.2M
$144.9M
Q4 24
$-100.4M
$150.0M
Q3 24
$-8.9M
$89.5M
Q2 24
$1.9M
$158.1M
Q1 24
$-2.9M
$140.9M
Gross Margin
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
52.6%
Q3 25
51.6%
Q2 25
52.1%
Q1 25
52.8%
Q4 24
54.5%
Q3 24
54.1%
Q2 24
55.3%
Q1 24
53.3%
Operating Margin
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
10.7%
31.6%
Q3 25
10.3%
29.7%
Q2 25
9.7%
33.2%
Q1 25
2.1%
32.5%
Q4 24
-26.3%
33.6%
Q3 24
4.6%
22.7%
Q2 24
5.4%
36.6%
Q1 24
-0.4%
33.3%
Net Margin
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
0.8%
25.1%
Q3 25
0.6%
25.7%
Q2 25
0.1%
25.4%
Q1 25
-11.6%
25.4%
Q4 24
-32.7%
26.4%
Q3 24
-4.4%
15.9%
Q2 24
1.0%
28.6%
Q1 24
-1.7%
25.8%
EPS (diluted)
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$0.03
$4.06
Q3 25
$0.01
$4.03
Q2 25
$0.00
$3.87
Q1 25
$-0.24
$3.76
Q4 24
$-0.67
$3.89
Q3 24
$-0.06
$2.33
Q2 24
$0.01
$4.09
Q1 24
$-0.02
$3.65

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$240.0M
$292.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.1B
$1.4B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.3B
$2.2B
Total Assets
$3.8B
$4.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.61×
0.63×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$240.0M
$292.7M
Q3 25
$216.8M
$355.1M
Q2 25
$184.3M
$364.0M
Q1 25
$172.0M
$287.0M
Q4 24
$168.7M
$358.8M
Q3 24
$307.4M
$492.6M
Q2 24
$269.6M
$522.0M
Q1 24
$246.0M
$450.2M
Total Debt
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$2.1B
$1.4B
Q3 25
$2.1B
$1.4B
Q2 25
$2.1B
$1.4B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$2.2B
$1.4B
Q3 24
$1.4B
Q2 24
$1.4B
Q1 24
$1.5B
Stockholders' Equity
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$1.3B
$2.2B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$2.2B
Q2 25
$1.3B
$2.2B
Q1 25
$1.3B
$2.1B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$920.7M
$1.9B
Q2 24
$913.3M
$1.9B
Q1 24
$907.7M
$1.8B
Total Assets
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$3.8B
$4.2B
Q3 25
$3.9B
$4.3B
Q2 25
$3.9B
$4.3B
Q1 25
$3.9B
$4.2B
Q4 24
$3.9B
$4.0B
Q3 24
$1.7B
$4.1B
Q2 24
$1.6B
$4.0B
Q1 24
$1.6B
$4.0B
Debt / Equity
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
1.61×
0.63×
Q3 25
1.64×
0.63×
Q2 25
1.65×
0.66×
Q1 25
1.69×
0.72×
Q4 24
1.66×
0.68×
Q3 24
0.71×
Q2 24
0.76×
Q1 24
0.83×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$65.9M
$121.3M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$62.2M
$90.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
14.8%
14.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.9%
5.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
19.01×
0.79×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$188.5M
$647.4M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$65.9M
$121.3M
Q3 25
$72.4M
$212.1M
Q2 25
$37.3M
$253.8M
Q1 25
$19.5M
$174.0M
Q4 24
$-85.7M
$86.4M
Q3 24
$43.5M
$163.2M
Q2 24
$32.0M
$238.2M
Q1 24
$38.3M
$143.8M
Free Cash Flow
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
$62.2M
$90.4M
Q3 25
$71.2M
$178.1M
Q2 25
$36.1M
$228.6M
Q1 25
$19.0M
$150.2M
Q4 24
$-86.0M
$60.5M
Q3 24
$43.1M
$137.2M
Q2 24
$31.4M
$216.9M
Q1 24
$38.0M
$121.9M
FCF Margin
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
14.8%
14.9%
Q3 25
17.4%
29.8%
Q2 25
9.2%
39.0%
Q1 25
5.4%
26.3%
Q4 24
-28.0%
10.6%
Q3 24
21.6%
24.4%
Q2 24
17.0%
39.2%
Q1 24
22.4%
22.3%
Capex Intensity
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
0.9%
5.1%
Q3 25
0.3%
5.7%
Q2 25
0.3%
4.3%
Q1 25
0.1%
4.2%
Q4 24
0.1%
4.5%
Q3 24
0.2%
4.6%
Q2 24
0.4%
3.9%
Q1 24
0.2%
4.0%
Cash Conversion
FA
FA
FDS
FDS
Q4 25
19.01×
0.79×
Q3 25
27.91×
1.38×
Q2 25
121.25×
1.71×
Q1 25
1.20×
Q4 24
0.58×
Q3 24
1.82×
Q2 24
17.22×
1.51×
Q1 24
1.02×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

FA
FA

First Advantage Americas$209.9M50%
Sterling$185.9M44%
First Advantage International$24.2M6%

FDS
FDS

Americas Segment$399.7M66%
EMEA Segment$149.1M25%
Asia Pacific Segment$62.2M10%

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