Barclays Cuts First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target to $213.00

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price target lowered by Barclays from $228.00 to $213.00 in a research note released on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. DZ Bank raised First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Evercore dropped their price target on First Solar from $241.00 to $212.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price objective on First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.49.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $188.71 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $202.34 and its 200 day moving average is $233.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.28 billion, a PE ratio of 13.28, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67. First Solar has a fifty-two week low of $119.09 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The business’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 17.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $671,256.18. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,632,880.62. This trade represents a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 14,106 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $2,820,776.82. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,999,100. This trade represents a 31.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 76,562 shares of company stock valued at $15,042,232. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

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

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Intraday bounce and outperformance vs. the market today, reflecting short-term buying interest. First Solar (FSLR) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lowered its price target to $243 from $300 but maintained a Buy rating, leaving a meaningful upside case that can support the stock. Citigroup adjusts price target on First Solar
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4/earnings roundups put First Solar in context with renewable peers — useful for relative valuation but not an immediate catalyst. Winners And Losers Of Q4: First Solar Vs The Rest Of The Renewable Energy Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst shops (Barclays, BMO) lowered expectations or issued more cautious forecasts this week, adding downward pressure on near-term sentiment. Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for First Solar BMO Issues Pessimistic Forecast for First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: Recent session saw the stock underperform peers and decline, highlighting ongoing volatility and raising the risk of further technical weakness if analyst skepticism continues. First Solar Inc. stock underperforms

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.