Vontobel Holding Ltd. Lowers Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Vontobel Holding Ltd. cut its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 299,084 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 31,264 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $78,130,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 117.0% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Down 1.4%

First Solar stock opened at $267.31 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $135.50 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $231.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $233.65. The company has a market capitalization of $28.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. First Solar’s revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.95 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.61 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target on First Solar to $300 from $243, implying meaningful upside from recent trading levels and reinforcing confidence in the company’s outlook. Mizuho price target update
• Positive Sentiment: UBS Group also lifted its price target to $330 from $290 and maintained a buy rating, signaling continued optimism around First Solar’s growth prospects. UBS analyst update
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary this week highlighted that First Solar has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, with sentiment remaining moderately bullish on the stock’s longer-term growth potential.
• Neutral Sentiment: One recent market article compared First Solar’s performance with the broader S&P 500, underscoring that the stock is still being closely watched by investors for relative performance trends. First Solar vs. S&P 500 article
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate note said First Solar declined while the broader market improved, suggesting the move may reflect normal trading volatility rather than a company-specific negative catalyst. Zacks market comparison article

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,029,435.19. This trade represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $145,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 60,694 shares of company stock valued at $13,659,583. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on First Solar from $303.00 to $256.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Citigroup decreased their price target on First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. HSBC increased their price target on First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Argus increased their price target on First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $250.99.

About First Solar

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.