Dnca Finance Sells 25,000 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• DNCA Finance trimmed its position in First Solar by 77.9%, selling 25,000 shares in Q3 and leaving 7,090 shares valued at $1.564 million.
• Notable insider and institutional activity: insiders sold 47,761 shares (~$9.28M) in the last quarter, including CEO Mark Widmar's 7,738-share sale, while institutional investors hold 92.08% of the stock (insiders own 0.48%).
• Analyst and recent results: the stock carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $249.65; the latest quarter showed EPS of $4.84 (miss) and revenue of $1.68B (beat), and the share price trades near $196 within a 52‑week range of $116.56–$285.99.

Dnca Finance trimmed its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 77.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,090 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 25,000 shares during the quarter. Dnca Finance's holdings in First Solar were worth $1,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $504,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 8,116 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,790,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in First Solar by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 4,930 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $1,087,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management increased its position in First Solar by 22.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 306 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Evercore cut their target price on First Solar from $241.00 to $212.00 in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $205.00 price target (down from $264.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $205.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.65.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $196.07 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $227.24 and a 200-day moving average of $235.86. The company has a market cap of $21.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 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. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.56 and a 52 week high of $285.99.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $1,516,106.34. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 91,787 shares in the company, valued at $17,983,826.91. The trade was a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,256.18. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,334 shares in the company, valued at $1,632,880.62. The trade was a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 47,761 shares of company stock worth $9,276,424 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

First Solar Company Profile

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.

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