M&T Bank Corp Buys 36,469 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in First Solar by 315.1%, acquiring 36,469 shares to hold 48,043 shares worth about $12.55 million per its latest SEC filing.
• Q4 results showed mixed fundamentals: EPS of $4.84 missed consensus by $0.38, but revenue of $1.68 billion beat estimates and rose 11.1% year‑over‑year; the stock trades near $196 with a $21.08B market cap and a PE of 13.8.
• Market sentiment is mixed: several brokers trimmed price targets though the consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $244.49, while insiders have sold roughly 76,562 shares (~$15.0M) and institutional ownership is about 92%.

M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 315.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,043 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 36,469 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in First Solar were worth $12,550,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Joule Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $17,015,000 after acquiring an additional 13,904 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at $1,193,000. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at $2,147,000. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 70.2% during the third quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 150,379 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $33,163,000 after acquiring an additional 62,048 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. DZ Bank raised First Solar to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. HSBC reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $211.00 price objective (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $244.49.

First Solar Trading Up 4.0%

First Solar stock opened at $196.19 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 2.35. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $119.09 and a one year high of $285.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.08 billion, a PE ratio of 13.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.61. The business's fifty day moving average is $201.86 and its 200 day moving average is $232.93.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.4 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects year‑over‑year earnings growth for First Solar next week, supporting a constructive near‑term outlook even though previews caution a beat is not guaranteed. First Solar (FSLR) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Intraday/short‑term price momentum has been positive in recent sessions, reflecting buying interest into the earnings run‑up and giving the stock technical support above recent lows. First Solar (FSLR) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 sector comparisons show mixed results among renewable peers; First Solar’s fundamentals are competitive but the sector narrative (supply, policy, project timing) may blunt near‑term upside until clearer guidance is issued. Winners And Losers Of Q4: First Solar Vs The Rest Of The Renewable Energy Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple broker notes trimmed expectations or issued pessimistic forecasts (Citigroup, Barclays, BMO), increasing downside risk from lower price targets and signaling less analyst conviction ahead of earnings. Citigroup Lowers Expectations for First Solar Barclays Lowers Expectations for First Solar BMO Capital Markets Issues Pessimistic Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Recent sessions included a notable single‑day drop and underperformance versus peers, highlighting volatility and the potential for amplified moves if upcoming results or guidance disappoint. First Solar Suffers Larger Drop Than the General Market First Solar Underperforms Competitors

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 9,022 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.62, for a total value of $1,800,971.64. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 9,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,966,257. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 value of $671,256.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,334 shares in the company, valued at $1,632,880.62. The trade was a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 76,562 shares of company stock valued at $15,042,232. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.

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.