First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Stock Holdings Cut by Hel Ved Capital Management Ltd

Hel Ved Capital Management Ltd reduced its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 9.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,087 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 1,900 shares during the quarter. First Solar comprises 1.3% of Hel Ved Capital Management Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Hel Ved Capital Management Ltd’s holdings in First Solar were worth $4,986,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% during the 4th quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $174,059,000 after acquiring an additional 642,199 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 38.6% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $459,917,000 after acquiring an additional 564,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,026,108,000 after acquiring an additional 464,130 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total value of $1,191,375.45. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 566 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $122,046.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 19,918 shares in the company, valued at $4,294,918.34. This trade represents a 2.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 60,694 shares of company stock valued at $13,659,583. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR opened at $267.31 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $231.95 and a 200-day moving average of $233.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.27, a PEG ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.71. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $135.50 and a 12-month high of $320.95. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during 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 company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.95 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim increased their price objective on First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho increased their price objective on First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued 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, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.99.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on First Solar to $300 from $243, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels and reinforcing confidence in the company’s outlook. Mizuho price target update
• Positive Sentiment: UBS Group also lifted its price target to $330 from $290 and maintained a buy rating, signaling continued optimism around First Solar’s growth prospects. UBS analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary this week highlighted that First Solar has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, with sentiment remaining moderately bullish on the stock’s longer-term growth potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: One recent market article compared First Solar’s performance with the broader S&P 500, underscoring that the stock is still being closely watched by investors for relative performance trends. First Solar vs. S&P 500 article
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate note said First Solar declined while the broader market improved, suggesting the move may reflect normal trading volatility rather than a company-specific negative catalyst. Zacks market comparison article

First Solar 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.