Geode Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after buying an additional 24,206 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 2.72% of First Solar worth $761,396,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of FSLR. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $3,026,108,000 after acquiring an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $459,917,000 after purchasing an additional 564,032 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in First Solar by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,349,531 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $297,612,000 after purchasing an additional 34,313 shares during the period. Finally, Clean Energy Transition LLP boosted its position in First Solar by 48.2% during the third quarter. Clean Energy Transition LLP now owns 1,117,228 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $246,382,000 after purchasing an additional 363,274 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,640 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total value of $716,898.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 8,037 shares in the company, valued at $1,582,887.15. This represents a 31.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $671,256.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,632,880.62. This represents a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 97,827 shares of company stock worth $20,006,930 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on First Solar from $205.00 to $187.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays reduced their target price on First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of First Solar from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research lowered shares of First Solar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird restated a "neutral" rating and set a $205.00 price objective (down from $264.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $247.40.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $306.79 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.82, a PEG ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $213.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $231.67. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $135.50 and a 12 month high of $313.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.95 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

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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