Leibman Financial Services Inc. Boosts Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Leibman Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in First Solar by 38.8% during Q2, owning 27,476 shares valued at approximately $4.55 million.
• Strong institutional interest in First Solar is evident, with major investors like Vanguard and Wellington Management boosting their stakes significantly in Q1.
• Equities analysts have raised their price targets for First Solar, with a consensus target of $225.84 and an average rating classified as "Moderate Buy."

Leibman Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 38.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,476 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 7,679 shares during the period. First Solar makes up approximately 3.5% of Leibman Financial Services Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Leibman Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in First Solar were worth $4,548,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in First Solar by 10.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 25,437 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $3,216,000 after purchasing an additional 2,510 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 396.5% during the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 11,777 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,489,000 after buying an additional 9,405 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 7.1% during the first quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 48,722 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $6,160,000 after purchasing an additional 3,226 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 189,320 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $23,936,000 after buying an additional 23,528 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 9,682 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $1,224,000 after buying an additional 1,916 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on FSLR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on First Solar from $241.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of First Solar from $202.00 to $287.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $194.00 target price on shares of First Solar and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $275.00 target price (up previously from $255.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $185.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $228.80.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In related news, CAO Nathan B. Theurer sold 686 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.03, for a total value of $124,872.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 23,912 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.47, for a total value of $4,434,958.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,978 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,317,279.66. This represents a 21.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 32,315 shares of company stock worth $6,021,305. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of First Solar stock traded up $2.86 during trading on Friday, reaching $212.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,858,347 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,689,322. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $190.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $161.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.41. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $116.56 and a one year high of $262.72.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 31st. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 15.57% and a net margin of 28.95%.The company's revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.25 earnings per share. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.500-16.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.