First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Purchased by Paragon Capital Management Inc.

Paragon Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 32.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 9,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,269 shares during the quarter. Paragon Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in First Solar were worth $1,177,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in First Solar in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 31.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the first quarter worth $51,000. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $53,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 1,868 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.08, for a total value of $278,481.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,998 shares in the company, valued at $894,181.84. The trade was a 23.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 9,557 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.05, for a total transaction of $1,481,812.85. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 8,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,246,136.85. The trade was a 54.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 14,376 shares of company stock valued at $2,227,172. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $204.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $251.00 to $275.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on First Solar from $223.00 to $217.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on First Solar from $237.00 to $214.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price target on First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, twenty-five have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $229.19.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $155.63 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $262.72. The business has a fifty day moving average of $152.12 and a 200-day moving average of $155.91. The stock has a market cap of $16.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.53.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.55). First Solar had a net margin of 29.72% and a return on equity of 16.32%. The firm had revenue of $844.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $863.11 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.20 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About First Solar

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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