First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler Sells 829 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 829 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.00, for a total value of $205,592.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 6,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,647,216. The trade was a 11.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

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

• On Monday, August 3rd, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total value of $749,903.75.

First Solar Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of FSLR opened at $236.80 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $25.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.60, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.75. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $176.47 and a 12 month high of $320.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $243.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $225.08.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.18 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.74 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in First Solar by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 84.3% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $750,000 after purchasing an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 6.3% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after purchasing an additional 1,115 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Mizuho set a $237.00 price objective on First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price 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. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group lifted their price target on First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded First Solar from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $254.44.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar’s quarterly results exceeded expectations, with earnings per share of $3.92 versus the $2.90 consensus estimate. Revenue was approximately $1.06 billion, and management reaffirmed its outlook, supporting confidence in execution and the company’s contracted backlog. ETFs in Spotlight as First Solar Shares Jump Post Q2 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Reports that the Trump administration may consider tariffs or a price floor for solar-panel raw materials have boosted expectations for stronger protection of U.S. manufacturers, a potential benefit to First Solar’s domestic production and pricing. Solar Policy Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism and substantial call-option activity indicate that some market participants continue to expect additional upside, supported by First Solar’s reported 45-gigawatt backlog and long-term growth prospects. First Solar Stock Price Expected to Rise
• Neutral Sentiment: A valuation analysis argues that FSLR may still trade below estimated intrinsic value, though such projections depend heavily on future earnings, backlog conversion and industry conditions. Is First Solar Still Reasonable After Its 45 GW Backlog?
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities class action alleging that First Solar and certain officers inadequately disclosed Series 6 production underutilization, South Carolina onshoring costs and related business risks. The August 24 lead-plaintiff deadline is keeping the allegations in focus, although the claims have not been proven. Pomerantz Class Action Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Two executives, including CTO Markus Gloeckler, sold shares under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. While scheduled sales do not necessarily signal deteriorating fundamentals, the reduction in their holdings may add short-term investor caution.

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.