First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) EVP Samantha Sloan Sells 120 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) EVP Samantha Sloan sold 120 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $24,096.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 1,683 shares in the company, valued at $337,946.40. This represents a 6.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FSLR traded up $0.94 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $200.42. 1,358,366 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,623,352. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.56 and a 1 year high of $285.99. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $236.51. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. DZ Bank raised First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. BMO Capital Markets set a $263.00 price target on First Solar in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Argus dropped their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Daiwa Securities Group increased their price objective on First Solar from $215.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their target price on First Solar from $292.00 to $280.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.17.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in First Solar by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $504,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its position in First Solar by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $942,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in First Solar by 18.2% during the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. FIL Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 2.6% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $414,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim kept a Buy rating while lowering its price target to $269 from $312, implying ~34% upside from the current price — a continued institutional vote of confidence despite the cut. Guggenheim price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/media coverage lists First Solar among undervalued renewable-energy stocks, reinforcing a value/mean?reversion investment narrative (forward P/E cited as attractive). InsiderMonkey undervalued stocks article
• Neutral Sentiment: Several small insider sales were reported (e.g., Georges Antoun sold 245 shares at ~$200.80). These single, modest dispositions are routine for insiders and may not by themselves signal a change in company outlook. Antoun Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Concentrated executive selling: the CFO sold 14,106 shares (~$2.82M; ~31.98% reduction), the General Counsel sold 9,022 shares (~$1.8M; ~48% reduction), and the CEO sold 1,937 shares (~$389k). Large, clustered sales by senior management can weigh on sentiment because they reduce insider ownership and may prompt questions about timing or outlook. Representative SEC filing: CFO sale. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP issued an investor alert announcing an investigation into First Solar, which introduces legal/financial risk and can increase headline volatility and potential liability concerns. Pomerantz investor alert

About First Solar

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.