First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $287.65 and last traded at $290.5120, with a volume of 293674 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $273.67.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several brokerages recently weighed in on FSLR. Wolfe Research lowered First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Glj Research upgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $315.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group cut their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on First Solar from $205.00 to $187.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $251.37.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on First Solar
First Solar Trading Up 7.4%
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The firm’s revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.95 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar
In other First Solar news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $107,383.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 30,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,622,428.56. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total transaction of $1,191,375.45. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 89,033 shares in the company, valued at $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 97,827 shares of company stock worth $20,006,930. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Joule Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in First Solar by 22.0% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,155 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $17,015,000 after buying an additional 13,904 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in First Solar during the third quarter worth about $1,193,000. National Pension Service grew its holdings in First Solar by 24.1% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 41,419 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $9,134,000 after acquiring an additional 8,036 shares during the period. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. raised its position in First Solar by 70.2% in the third quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 150,379 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $33,163,000 after acquiring an additional 62,048 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
First Solar Company Profile
First Solar, Inc (NASDAQ: FSLR) is a United States–based solar technology company best known for designing and manufacturing thin‑film photovoltaic (PV) modules that use cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor technology. The company supplies PV modules and delivers integrated solar power solutions for utility‑scale projects, positioning itself as a provider of both components and complete solar energy systems rather than solely a parts supplier. First Solar was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.
Beyond module manufacturing, First Solar offers a range of project services including development support, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, and operations and maintenance (O&M) for large-scale solar installations.
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