First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Shares Sold by Securian Asset Management Inc.

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 43.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,932 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 2,298 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $766,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, NBT Bank N A NY boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 550.0% in the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 221 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target on First Solar to $275 from $250 and reiterated a buy rating, signaling confidence in further upside after recent strength. Argus Adjusts Price Target on First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: Broader solar stocks are showing improved momentum, with reports that First Solar and other clean-energy names are attempting breakouts as investors rotate back into the sector. Solar Stocks Could Have More Room to Run
• Positive Sentiment: Bloomberg reported that Chinese clean-tech firms are pulling back from the U.S. because of a tougher policy environment and possible loss of incentives, which could improve the competitive position of U.S.-based solar manufacturers such as First Solar. China’s $3 Billion US Clean Tech Exit Is an Investment Warning
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar CEO Mark Widmar disclosed two recent stock sales under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan. Insider selling can draw attention, but the transactions appear routine rather than a negative business signal.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s shareholder/analyst call transcript was published, but no new material catalyst was highlighted in the provided headline.

First Solar Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $234.60 on Thursday. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $135.50 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $199.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.46. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The stock has a market cap of $25.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.57.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 previous year, the business posted $1.95 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore upped their target price on shares of First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 20th. DZ Bank upgraded First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded First Solar from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $247.03.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,256.18. Following the transaction, the insider owned 8,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,632,880.62. This represents a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 9,926 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.21, for a total value of $2,314,842.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 95,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,189,465.08. This represents a 9.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 92,430 shares of company stock valued at $18,670,055. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

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.