First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Shares Purchased by Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 440.6% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 10,764 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,773 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $2,540,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in First Solar by 29.3% in the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,138,473 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $224,540,000 after purchasing an additional 258,204 shares during the period. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $1,697,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in First Solar by 1,054.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 52,219 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $13,641,000 after purchasing an additional 47,695 shares during the period. Genus Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,525,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 829 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.00, for a total value of $205,592.00. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a legal 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 Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086 over the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Guggenheim lifted their price objective 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. Evercore reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.27.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO upgraded First Solar to Outperform and raised its price target to $263 from $237, implying substantial upside from the reference price. BMO reportedly believes the market reaction to the latest Section 232 tariff developments was overdone. BMO upgrades First Solar as tariff selloff looks overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Argus reiterated a Buy rating on First Solar, reinforcing the view that the company’s valuation and long-term growth prospects remain attractive despite recent volatility. Argus reiterates Buy rating for First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: A climate-finance expert said Wall Street may have misinterpreted the market’s response to the latest solar-tariff announcement, potentially easing concerns that trade policy will materially damage First Solar’s outlook. Wall Street misread the solar tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: An emergency order restricting certain foreign bulk-power-system equipment and software could benefit U.S. solar and energy-equipment manufacturers by supporting domestic suppliers, although the direct impact on First Solar is uncertain. Why solar stocks were rising overnight
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s latest quarterly results exceeded earnings expectations, but revenue declined year over year, leaving investors focused on policy developments and future demand rather than the reported quarter.
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer advised investors to stay away from First Solar, while Evercore ISI maintained an In-Line rating and trimmed its price target to $218, highlighting continued analyst disagreement and near-term uncertainty. Jim Cramer comments on First Solar

First Solar Trading Down 2.7%

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $204.46 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $223.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $223.38. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $182.99 and a 12-month high of $320.95. The stock has a market cap of $21.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.61, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.75.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.18 EPS. First Solar’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.