Mark Widmar Sells 5,537 Shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CEO Mark Widmar sold 5,537 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total value of $1,054,023.32. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 99,879 shares in the company, valued at $19,012,966.44. The trade was a 5.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

First Solar Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of FSLR traded up $2.42 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $197.80. 1,948,243 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,663,926. The company has a market capitalization of $21.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The business has a 50 day moving average of $231.30 and a 200 day moving average of $236.41. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.56 and a 1-year high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The company had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on FSLR shares. Susquehanna cut their target price on First Solar from $292.00 to $280.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $300.00 to $245.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Argus lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on First Solar from $150.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.65.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on FSLR (keeps conviction in demand and growth) even after lowering its price target to $228 from $279 — a signal that analysts still see upside despite nearer‑term headwinds. First Solar Gains Analyst Support (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media commentary highlights FSLR underperformance versus some energy peers this year, noting it has lagged while others surged — useful context for sector-relative positioning but not new company-specific data. FSLR Sinks While Peers Surge (24/7 Wall St.)
• Negative Sentiment: Large, clustered insider selling disclosed on March 9 — multiple executives (including CEO Mark Widmar, CFO and other senior officers) sold shares at ~ $190.36. Heavy, broad-based insider sales can raise short-term concern about insider conviction and may amplify downside if investors interpret them as signaling less confidence. See CEO filing. SEC Form 4 — CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: Pomerantz LLP has opened an investigation into First Solar on behalf of investors — this can increase legal uncertainty and headline risk while an inquiry develops. Pomerantz Investigation (GlobeNewswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental headwinds flagged: reporting highlights a rapidly shrinking backlog and potential long‑term exposure to phasing-out U.S. tax credits (scheduled 2030–2033), which could pressure bookings and margins over time if not offset by new contract wins or policy extensions. Backlog & Tax Credit Risk (Yahoo)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its holdings 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 valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at about $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% in the fourth quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $174,059,000 after purchasing an additional 642,199 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 38.6% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $459,917,000 after purchasing an additional 564,032 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% 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.