Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Insider Sells 10,628 Shares of Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This trade represents a 30.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Caroline Stockdale also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, May 5th, Caroline Stockdale sold 262 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $56,495.06.
• On Monday, March 16th, Caroline Stockdale sold 335 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $67,268.00.
• On Monday, March 9th, Caroline Stockdale sold 1,041 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $198,164.76.
• On Tuesday, March 3rd, Caroline Stockdale sold 1,650 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $323,284.50.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ FSLR traded down $8.42 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $298.38. 2,161,642 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,472,028. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $135.50 and a 52-week high of $313.75. The company has a market capitalization of $32.06 billion, a PE ratio of 19.16, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $213.45 and its 200-day moving average is $231.38.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.95 EPS. First Solar’s revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in First Solar by 117.0% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Solar from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $247.40.

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.