First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock: Insider Markus Gloeckler Sells 800 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total transaction of $139,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $877,308. The trade was a 13.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 Tuesday, September 1st, Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $160,000.00.
• On Tuesday, August 4th, Markus Gloeckler sold 829 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.00, for a total transaction of $205,592.00.
• 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 Up 1.5%

Shares of FSLR stock traded up $2.50 during trading on Friday, hitting $174.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,898,076 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,384,803. The company has a market cap of $18.76 billion, a PE ratio of 10.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80. The business has a fifty day moving average of $208.11 and a 200-day moving average of $220.36. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $168.60 and a 52 week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. First Solar’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Glj Research cut their price target on shares of First Solar from $315.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. HC Wainwright started coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Argus reissued a “buy” rating and set a $275.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.23.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Patent lawsuit could protect technology and pricing: First Solar sued JA Solar and American Panel Solutions, reportedly a Corning subsidiary, alleging infringement of its U.S. patent covering manufacturing methods for TOPCon solar cells. Successful enforcement could help protect First Solar’s intellectual property and competitive position. First Solar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Potential earnings support: First Solar has a history of exceeding earnings expectations. Analysts are watching the upcoming report for evidence that strong execution and the company’s relatively low valuation can offset industry headwinds. Will First Solar Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher put-option activity signals caution: Traders purchased 31,358 put options, about 21% above average volume. This indicates increased hedging or bearish speculation ahead of earnings, but it does not necessarily represent a change in the company’s fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: Inventory and policy pressures remain significant: Elevated U.S. solar-panel inventories, slower utility-scale project starts, tight pricing, and a new 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives are complicating supply-chain planning and could pressure margins or near-term demand. How Investors Are Reacting to First Solar Inventory Glut, New Tariffs and Slower Project Starts
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target reduction adds pressure: Piper Sandler cut its price target for First Solar, reinforcing concerns about near-term industry conditions and the stock’s substantial decline from its 12-month high. First Solar Stock Price Target Cut by Piper Sandler

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter valued at about $3,310,298,000. ABS Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth about $1,297,780,000. Hill City Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth about $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 7.0% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $362,396,000 after purchasing an additional 100,694 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,261,472 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $329,534,000 after buying an additional 65,486 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a solar technology and manufacturing company that designs and produces photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for utility-scale power projects. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), which the company says can provide advantages in energy yield, temperature performance and lifecycle sustainability.

The company’s product portfolio includes its Series 6 and Series 7 thin-film solar modules, along with related services such as technical support, module recycling and end-of-life collection.