Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Has $35.98 Million Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Teachers Retirement System of Kentucky increased its First Solar stake by 35.7% in the first quarter, ending with 182,379 shares worth about $35.98 million.
• First Solar reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $3.22 beating estimates and revenue of $1.04 billion, up 23.6% year over year.
• Despite positive analyst sentiment and higher price targets, the stock faces some pressure from recent insider selling and ongoing class-action lawsuit concerns.

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky boosted its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 35.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 182,379 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 48,000 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky owned 0.17% of First Solar worth $35,976,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $942,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of First Solar by 18.2% during the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. FIL Ltd raised its stake in First Solar by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $185,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC raised its stake in First Solar by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $312,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Burford Brothers Inc. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Burford Brothers Inc. now owns 19,080 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $4,984,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $227.83 on Monday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $250.91 and its 200-day moving average price is $230.60. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $159.85 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.95 EPS. The business's revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target on First Solar to $270 from $250 and maintained a positive rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s upside potential. Benzinga report on Susquehanna price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted First Solar as a strong value stock, which may support the longer-term investment case but is unlikely to move the shares on its own. Zacks value stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued class-action reminders and lead-plaintiff deadline alerts tied to First Solar, reinforcing legal uncertainty and potential investor concern around the company. Newsfile class action alert
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage also tied the stock’s weakness to the earlier steep selloff and reduced 2026 guidance, which continues to hang over sentiment. PR Newswire class action alert

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,792 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,557,075.20. This represents a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $145,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 32,466 shares of company stock valued at $8,014,105. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Evercore boosted their price objective on First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $245.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised First Solar from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $254.31.

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.

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