First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Holdings Boosted by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 13.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 24,867 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 3,018 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in First Solar were worth $4,383,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. City Holding Co. increased its position in First Solar by 84.9% in the fourth quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 1,666 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 765 shares during the period. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC grew its position in First Solar by 58.4% in the 4th quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 2,890 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $509,000 after purchasing an additional 1,065 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in First Solar by 15.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 645 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its position in First Solar by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,844 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC grew its position in First Solar by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 9,210 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,623,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $164.92 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average is $135.55 and its 200-day moving average is $162.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The company has a market capitalization of $17.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.46.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.55). First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company had revenue of $844.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $863.11 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.20 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of First Solar from $254.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Barclays reduced their price target on First Solar from $236.00 to $204.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on First Solar from $282.00 to $268.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price target (down from $245.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, KeyCorp cut shares of First Solar from a "sector weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $100.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-four have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $226.30.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $80,116.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 45,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. This trade represents a 1.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 229 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $30,628.75. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 52,836 shares in the company, valued at $7,066,815. This represents a 0.43% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158 in the last three months. 0.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.

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