First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Stock: Apollon Wealth Management LLC Grows Holdings

Key Points

• Apollon Wealth Management increased its First Solar stake by 891.2% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 37,308 shares worth approximately $6.5 million. Institutional investors collectively own 92.08% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $265.73, supported by expectations for strong long-term U.S. solar and storage demand.
• First Solar faces near-term pressure from heightened put-option activity, securities litigation concerning tariff benefits and recent insider selling, while its shares trade near their 52-week low at about $168.15.

Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 891.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,308 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after buying an additional 33,544 shares during the quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC's holdings in First Solar were worth $6,535,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Vega Investment Solutions purchased a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp purchased a new stake in First Solar during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth $45,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist reiterated Buy ratings on several clean-energy stocks, including First Solar, citing a favorable long-term demand outlook. The U.S. is expected to add roughly 38 GWac of utility-scale solar and 26 GW of storage capacity annually through 2030, supporting potential growth in First Solar’s project pipeline, revenue and margins. Truist names top clean energy stocks to watch ahead of Q3 earnings season
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street brokerages collectively rate First Solar “Moderate Buy,” suggesting analysts generally see upside despite the stock’s recent decline and concerns surrounding the solar industry. First Solar Stock Rated Moderate Buy by Wall Street Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data showed zero shares sold short and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio. Because this conflicts with the description of a large increase in short interest, the figure may reflect a reporting or data-quality issue and provides little reliable trading insight.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors purchased 38,523 put options on First Solar, 45% above typical daily put volume. The activity signals increased demand for downside protection or bearish speculation and may be contributing to near-term selling pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors continue to focus on securities class-action lawsuits concerning how management characterized the benefits of tariffs. Although First Solar has reported strong sales and margins, legal scrutiny could weaken confidence in the durability of those gains and remain an overhang on the shares. Caught Out By First Solar's Fall? What Bears Saw

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total value of $139,200.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 5,042 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $877,308. This trade represents a 13.69% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 in the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the topic of a number of research reports. TD Cowen raised shares of First Solar to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. HC Wainwright began coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, August 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Citigroup cut shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Truist Financial set a $270.00 price target on First Solar and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Glj Research cut their price objective on First Solar from $315.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $265.73.

First Solar Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $168.15 on Tuesday. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $165.86 and a 52-week high of $320.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $192.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $217.50. The company has a market capitalization of $18.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.18 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current year.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.

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