First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: 34 brokers rate First Solar a "Moderate Buy" (20 buy, 13 hold, 1 sell) with an average 12‑month price target of $249.65.
• Insider selling: Company insiders sold 47,761 shares worth about $9.28 million in the last quarter (including Kuntal Kumar Verma and General Counsel Jason Dymbort), leaving insiders owning 0.48% of the stock.
• Recent results: First Solar reported quarterly EPS of $4.84 (missing the $5.22 estimate) while revenue of $1.68 billion beat expectations, with a 29.28% net margin and 11.1% revenue growth year‑over‑year.

Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirty-four brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a hold recommendation and twenty have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $249.6490.

A number of research firms have issued reports on FSLR. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $316.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Argus reduced their price target on First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, January 12th. They set a "market perform" rating for the company. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $215.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the business'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 sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,273 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $641,278.89. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 16,625 shares in the company, valued at $3,257,336.25. This trade represents a 16.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 47,761 shares of company stock valued at $9,276,424. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $196.07 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 has a 1-year low of $116.56 and a 1-year high of $285.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.80, a P/E/G ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.65. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $227.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $235.86.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The business's revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.65 EPS. Equities analysts predict that First Solar will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

About First Solar

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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