Stephens Inc. AR Boosts Stake in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Stephens Inc. AR boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 32.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,559 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,018 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in First Solar were worth $5,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $212,621,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in First Solar by 60.6% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Atreides Management LP acquired a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth $65,134,000. Ariel Investments LLC acquired a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth $50,869,000. Finally, Peconic Partners LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at $49,662,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $243.64 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $259.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.15. The stock has a market cap of $26.15 billion, a PE ratio of 18.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.60. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.56 and a 1-year high of $285.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 1.91 and a quick ratio of 1.55.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.32 by ($0.08). First Solar had a return on equity of 16.61% and a net margin of 27.73%.The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.56 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.91 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 79.7% on a year-over-year basis. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.000-15.000 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $278.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on First Solar from $260.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.84.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, insider Georges Antoun sold 37,412 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.01, for a total value of $9,914,554.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 15,424 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,087,514.24. The trade was a 70.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael T. Sweeney sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.11, for a total value of $1,219,995.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 13,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,703,904.82. This represents a 24.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 48,912 shares of company stock worth $12,971,349 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

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.