First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Position Boosted by Forsta AP Fonden

Key Points

• Forsta AP Fonden increased its First Solar stake by 43.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 10,100 more shares and bringing its total to 33,400 shares worth about $8.7 million.
• First Solar has been rallying on multiple bullish catalysts, including a GLJ Research upgrade to Buy, hopes for favorable U.S. trade policy, and momentum tied to strong earnings and rising AI-driven electricity demand.
• The company continues to show strong fundamentals and investor support: it beat quarterly earnings estimates, posted 23.6% revenue growth year over year, and carries a consensus Wall Street rating of Moderate Buy.

Forsta AP Fonden lifted its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 43.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,400 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 10,100 shares during the period. Forsta AP Fonden's holdings in First Solar were worth $8,725,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 212.3% during the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 178 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Key First Solar News

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $271.00 to $243.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Argus raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. HSBC raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of First Solar from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $247.40.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $306.79 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $213.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.38. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $135.50 and a 52-week high of $313.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.82, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.70.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.95 earnings per share. First Solar's revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 498 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $107,383.74. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 30,712 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,622,428.56. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 566 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $122,046.58. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 19,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,294,918.34. This trade represents a 2.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 97,827 shares of company stock valued at $20,006,930. Company insiders own 0.39% 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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