Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC cut its stake in First Solar by 30.3% in Q3, selling 119,569 shares and ending the period with 274,898 shares worth about $60.6 million (≈0.26% of the company).
• Insider selling has accelerated recently — CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares and General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,273 shares, with insiders offloading 31,975 shares (~$6.27M) over the past 90 days; insiders now hold roughly 0.48% of the stock.
• First Solar reported an EPS miss ($4.84 vs. $5.22) and gave disappointing 2026 guidance, triggering multiple analyst price‑target cuts and downgrades; consensus remains a Moderate Buy with an average target of $249.65.

Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC decreased its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 30.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 274,898 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 119,569 shares during the quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC owned approximately 0.26% of First Solar worth $60,623,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. SFE Investment Counsel boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 69,810 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $11,556,000 after buying an additional 5,852 shares during the last quarter. Joule Financial LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in First Solar by 22.0% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,155 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $17,015,000 after buying an additional 13,904 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter worth about $1,323,000. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in First Solar in the third quarter worth about $1,193,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $1,516,106.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 91,787 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,983,826.91. This trade represents a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,273 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $641,278.89. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 16,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,257,336.25. The trade was a 16.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,975 shares of company stock valued at $6,267,492. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $279.00 to $228.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $326.00 to $271.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.65.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $189.21 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $234.09 and its 200 day moving average is $236.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.32, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $116.56 and a 12 month high of $285.99. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

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

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. manufacturing expansion: First Solar commissioned a new factory in Louisiana and plans additional capacity in South Carolina, improving domestic supply‑chain positioning and medium/long‑term revenue visibility. First Solar Expands US Manufacturing Footprint
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and retail/trending activity are elevated, which can amplify intraday swings but do not change the company’s fundamentals. Behind the Scenes of First Solar's Latest Options Trends
• Negative Sentiment: 2026 guidance disappointed analysts, triggering multiple downgrades and the primary near‑term selling pressure as investors reprice earnings/margins. 2026 Guidance Disappoints, Triggers Downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price‑target cuts (examples: Evercore to $212, Morgan Stanley to $230, Barclays to $228, Argus to $250) reduce headline upside and analyst support. Analyst Price Target Moves
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed on March 4 — CTO Markus Gloeckler sold ~3,640 shares (~$717k) and CAO Nathan Theurer sold 92 shares — which some investors view as a negative signal even if routine. CTO Insider Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investor investigation into First Solar, introducing legal/financial risk that could increase near‑term cautiousness. Pomerantz Investigates First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile negative commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer calling the recent quarter “one awful quarter”) can amplify short‑term selling momentum among retail traders. Jim Cramer on First Solar

First Solar Profile

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FSLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.