First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Acquired by Robeco Schweiz AG

Robeco Schweiz AG grew its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 28.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 604,011 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 134,616 shares during the period. First Solar comprises approximately 1.9% of Robeco Schweiz AG's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Robeco Schweiz AG owned 0.56% of First Solar worth $76,365,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 1st quarter worth approximately $51,000. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Trading Down 1.6%

First Solar stock traded down $2.65 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $162.44. 2,136,077 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,265,946. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.07. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $262.72. The firm has a market cap of $17.42 billion, a PE ratio of 13.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $863.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.20 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on First Solar from $267.00 to $240.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Glj Research raised First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $172.37 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $157.00 to $192.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on First Solar from $204.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $228.69.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 9,557 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.05, for a total value of $1,481,812.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 8,037 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,246,136.85. This trade represents a 54.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 1,868 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.08, for a total value of $278,481.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 5,998 shares of the company's stock, valued at $894,181.84. The trade was a 23.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,976 shares of company stock worth $2,515,172 in the last three months. 0.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.