Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. Acquires Shares of 55,613 First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. disclosed a new position in First Solar, buying 55,613 shares worth about $14.5 million in the fourth quarter, giving it roughly 0.05% ownership.
• Institutional interest in First Solar remains strong, with several other large investors increasing their stakes and 92.08% of the stock now held by hedge funds and other institutions.
• Analysts are still broadly positive despite mixed target changes, with First Solar carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $247.40; the stock recently traded near $306.79 after a strong earnings beat and rally.

Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 55,613 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $14,536,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. owned approximately 0.05% of First Solar as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. National Pension Service lifted its holdings in First Solar by 24.1% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 41,419 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $9,134,000 after purchasing an additional 8,036 shares in the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 70.2% during the third quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 150,379 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $33,163,000 after purchasing an additional 62,048 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 3.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $3,026,108,000 after purchasing an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC purchased a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $1,697,000. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in First Solar by 77.4% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 175,766 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $38,762,000 after purchasing an additional 76,693 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $145,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,750. This trade represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 215 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $46,360.45. Following the sale, the insider owned 14,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,157,254.46. This represents a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 97,827 shares of company stock valued at $20,006,930. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FSLR. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $303.00 to $256.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Evercore raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $247.40.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: GLJ Research upgraded First Solar to Buy from Hold and raised its price target, giving traders a fresh catalyst and helping fuel the latest jump in shares. First Solar (FSLR) Shares Skyrocket, What You Need To Know
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is being boosted by expectations for potential U.S. trade-policy developments, including a possible Section 232 backdrop that could support domestically produced solar modules and improve pricing power for First Solar. First Solar shares jump as investors bet on favorable U.S. trade-policy backdrop and extend post-earnings momentum
• Positive Sentiment: The stock is also benefiting from post-earnings momentum, a breakout to fresh highs, and broader enthusiasm for solar names tied to rising AI data-center electricity demand. Solar Stocks To Watch As AI Drives Energy Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple recent articles note that First Solar is breaking out and attracting momentum traders, which can amplify moves as investors chase strength. Stock Market Today: Indexes Rise On U.S.-Iran Deal Hopes; Snowflake Surges, First Solar Breaks Out (Live Coverage)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains supportive overall, with a recent consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” reinforcing a constructive longer-term view. First Solar, Inc. Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the rally, insider activity has shown heavy selling over the past six months, which may temper enthusiasm for some investors. First Solar shares jump as investors bet on favorable U.S. trade-policy backdrop and extend post-earnings momentum

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $306.79 on Monday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.50 and a 1-year high of $313.75. The stock has a market cap of $32.96 billion, a PE ratio of 19.82, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.70. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $213.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $231.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.95 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 EPS for the current year.

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.

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