First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Stake Decreased by Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in First Solar by 63.8% in Q4, selling 30,392 shares and retaining 17,262 shares worth about $4.21 million.
• Company insiders sold a combined 75,989 shares valued at $14.92 million last quarter — including sales by CEO Mark Widmar and General Counsel Jason Dymbort — leaving insiders with just 0.39% ownership.
• First Solar missed Q4 EPS estimates ($4.84 vs. $5.22) but revenue rose 11.1% to $1.68 billion, and analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $246.13 target amid several price-target cuts and rating changes.

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 63.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 30,392 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in First Solar were worth $4,207,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.7% during the third 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. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $942,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 2.6% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 0.6% in the third quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 8,116 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,790,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Finally, Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 367 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $200.61 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The company's 50-day moving average price is $206.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $234.73. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $119.09 and a 52 week high of $285.99. The stock has a market cap of $21.56 billion, a PE ratio of 14.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.61.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The business had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. First Solar's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. DZ Bank raised shares of First Solar to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Glj Research downgraded shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $314.43 to $207.82 in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Argus reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $246.13.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,937 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total value of $388,949.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 102,798 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,641,838.40. The trade was a 1.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 9,022 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.62, for a total transaction of $1,800,971.64. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 9,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,966,257. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 75,989 shares of company stock valued at $14,921,902 in the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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