Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Sells $749,903.75 in Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total value of $749,903.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 7,471 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,635,775.45. The trade was a 31.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Markus Gloeckler also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, August 4th, Markus Gloeckler sold 829 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.00, for a total transaction of $205,592.00.

First Solar Trading Up 2.4%

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $250.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.75. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $241.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $225.26. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $176.47 and a 1 year high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.18 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on FSLR. HSBC upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on First Solar from $294.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $254.89.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,310,298,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $761,396,000 after acquiring an additional 24,206 shares during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its position in First Solar by 60.6% in 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 period. Amundi increased its position in First Solar by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $578,791,000 after acquiring an additional 189,626 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $392,040,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The Trump administration imposed a 15% tariff and minimum import-price requirements on polysilicon and downstream products under Section 232. The policy, scheduled to take effect December 4, could reduce low-cost Chinese competition and support pricing for U.S. solar manufacturers. Solar stocks shine after Trump extends China tariffs to polysilicon products
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar publicly supported the action, saying it could help loosen China’s control of a critical solar-material supply chain. Chinese producers reportedly account for more than 90% of global polysilicon supply. First Solar applauds Section 232 action
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target from $300 to $313 and maintained an overweight rating, saying the trade action could benefit First Solar more than previously expected. HSBC also upgraded the stock from hold to buy, reinforcing improving analyst sentiment. First Solar clears aggressive buy point
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s earlier quarterly earnings beat remains a supportive backdrop: First Solar reported $3.92 in earnings per share versus the $2.90 consensus estimate, although revenue declined 3.4% year over year. Its contracted backlog and domestic capacity expansion provide longer-term visibility, but investors remain focused on earnings durability.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms are promoting a securities class action against First Solar and certain executives concerning alleged disclosures about production underutilization, South Carolina onshoring costs and related risks. The allegations remain unproven, but the August 24 lead-plaintiff deadline adds legal and reputational uncertainty. Pomerantz class action announcement

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.