S&CO Inc. Acquires Shares of 14,596 First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

S&CO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 14,596 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,444,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 50.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in First Solar by 84.3% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $750,000 after buying an additional 2,072 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. lifted its stake in First Solar by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 target price on shares of First Solar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $245.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of First Solar from $279.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $261.79.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $225.56 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.75. The company’s 50-day moving average is $233.60 and its 200 day moving average is $224.87. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $179.06 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95.

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

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird upgraded First Solar to Outperform and established a $318 price target. The firm said a Section 232 tariff decision removes a key overhang and could allow customers to resume bookings, improving the company’s outlook. First Solar Upgraded at Robert W. Baird
• Positive Sentiment: Solar power generated more electricity than wind globally for the first time last year and nearly matched nuclear generation. The milestone supports the broader growth case for solar manufacturers such as First Solar, although it does not represent a company-specific earnings update. Solar Power Hits Big Milestone, Trumping Wind For First Time
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s general counsel sold 3,700 shares worth approximately $922,706 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The transaction reduced his holdings by about 40%, but the planned nature of the sale limits its value as a signal about management’s current expectations. Jason Dymbort Sells First Solar Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are publicizing a securities class action against First Solar and certain officers. The alleged class period is February 26, 2025, through February 24, 2026, and investors have until August 24, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. The notices allege securities-law violations and investor losses related to disclosures concerning tariffs and company guidance; the allegations have not been proven. Pomerantz First Solar Class Action Filing

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 89,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 829 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 6,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,647,216. This represents a 11.10% 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. Insiders have sold a total of 30,979 shares of company stock worth $7,694,724 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

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.