Natixis Raises Stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Natixis lifted its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 27.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,440 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,769 shares during the period. Natixis’ holdings in First Solar were worth $4,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in First Solar by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. now owns 4,859 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $856,000 after acquiring an additional 1,554 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 665.8% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 39,192 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $7,308,000 after purchasing an additional 34,074 shares during the last quarter. Paragon Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,240,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in shares of First Solar by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 595,267 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $104,910,000 after purchasing an additional 49,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Equity Partners grew its holdings in First Solar by 41,342.9% during the 4th quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 2,901 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $511,000 after buying an additional 2,894 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $122.45 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.56 and a twelve month high of $306.77. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $170.83. The company has a market capitalization of $13.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.48.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($1.16). The business had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on FSLR shares. StockNews.com raised First Solar from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. UBS Group reduced their price target on First Solar from $285.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on First Solar in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.58.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Georges Antoun sold 229 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $30,628.75. Following the sale, the insider now owns 52,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,066,815. This trade represents a 0.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,966 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $262,952.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,890 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,965,287.50. This trade represents a 1.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158. 0.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

First Solar Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.