Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Takes $4.02 Million Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 17,265 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,019,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $204.46 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $21.97 billion, a PE ratio of 12.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $223.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $223.39. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $182.99 and a one year high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.18 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO upgraded First Solar to Outperform and raised its price target to $263 from $237, implying substantial upside from the reference price. BMO reportedly believes the market reaction to the latest Section 232 tariff developments was overdone. BMO upgrades First Solar as tariff selloff looks overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Argus reiterated a Buy rating on First Solar, reinforcing the view that the company’s valuation and long-term growth prospects remain attractive despite recent volatility. Argus reiterates Buy rating for First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: A climate-finance expert said Wall Street may have misinterpreted the market’s response to the latest solar-tariff announcement, potentially easing concerns that trade policy will materially damage First Solar’s outlook. Wall Street misread the solar tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: An emergency order restricting certain foreign bulk-power-system equipment and software could benefit U.S. solar and energy-equipment manufacturers by supporting domestic suppliers, although the direct impact on First Solar is uncertain. Why solar stocks were rising overnight
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s latest quarterly results exceeded earnings expectations, but revenue declined year over year, leaving investors focused on policy developments and future demand rather than the reported quarter.
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer advised investors to stay away from First Solar, while Evercore ISI maintained an In-Line rating and trimmed its price target to $218, highlighting continued analyst disagreement and near-term uncertainty. Jim Cramer comments on First Solar

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086 in the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 price target on First Solar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 price target on First Solar in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, HC Wainwright assumed coverage on First Solar in a research note on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.27.

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.