First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale decreased its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 3.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 504,178 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 20,025 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned 0.47% of First Solar worth $62,906,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,644,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 31.7% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,308 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $8,666,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,933,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Trading Down 0.3%

NASDAQ FSLR traded down $0.55 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $165.45. 1,226,095 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,247,408. The business's 50 day moving average is $158.75 and its 200-day moving average is $154.60. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $262.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.93.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.55). First Solar had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 29.72%. The business had revenue of $844.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $863.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.20 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 2,951 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.21, for a total transaction of $466,877.71. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 11,369 shares in the company, valued at $1,798,689.49. This represents a 20.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 9,557 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.05, for a total value of $1,481,812.85. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 8,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,246,136.85. This represents a 54.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,976 shares of company stock worth $2,515,172 over the last three months. 0.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on First Solar from $188.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on First Solar from $200.00 to $187.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on First Solar from $253.00 to $202.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Barclays decreased their price target on First Solar from $236.00 to $204.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Oppenheimer downgraded First Solar from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $228.69.

First Solar Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.