Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New Investment in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 246,494 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $43,442,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned approximately 0.23% of First Solar at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 665.8% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 39,192 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $7,308,000 after buying an additional 34,074 shares in the last quarter. Paragon Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,240,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its stake in First Solar by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 595,267 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $104,910,000 after purchasing an additional 49,074 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Equity Partners raised its stake in First Solar by 41,342.9% in the fourth quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 2,901 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $511,000 after purchasing an additional 2,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RWC Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $16,745,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Trading Up 2.1%

NASDAQ:FSLR traded up $3.33 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $159.28. The company had a trading volume of 5,254,911 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,050,574. The company has a market capitalization of $17.08 billion, a PE ratio of 13.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $140.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $160.30. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.56 and a 52 week high of $306.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.55). The firm had revenue of $844.57 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $863.11 million. First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.20 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $237.00 to $214.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $204.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $223.00 price target on shares of First Solar and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 23rd. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of First Solar from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $221.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $227.37.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total transaction of $169,125.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 109,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,492,640. This trade represents a 1.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 419 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total value of $55,710.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,695 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $624,247.20. This represents a 8.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 14,851 shares of company stock valued at $2,188,525. 0.48% of the stock is currently 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.