Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Free Report) by 19.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,404 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 3,026 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in First Solar were worth $3,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in First Solar by 117.0% in 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 in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting First Solar
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
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Read Our Latest Report on FSLR
First Solar Trading Up 2.4%
Shares of First Solar stock opened at $250.05 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $241.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $225.26. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $176.47 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.42, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.75.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. First Solar’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.18 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.75 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. The trade was a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total value of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,557,075.20. This represents a 30.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 38,505 shares of company stock valued at $9,398,886 in the last quarter. 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.
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