Nia Impact Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Nia Impact Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 6.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,675 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after buying an additional 2,080 shares during the period. First Solar accounts for about 2.0% of Nia Impact Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Nia Impact Advisors LLC's holdings in First Solar were worth $6,287,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 9,210 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,623,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance increased its stake in First Solar by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 2,090 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $368,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in First Solar by 15.3% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 511 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evexia Wealth LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Evexia Wealth LLC now owns 3,481 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $586,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Down 4.1%

First Solar stock traded down $7.72 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $178.46. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,251,444 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,066,270. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a market cap of $19.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.46. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $134.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $163.14.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total transaction of $3,039,360.78. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 103,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,589,129.27. This trade represents a 17.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $80,116.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. This represents a 1.29% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on FSLR shares. Barclays dropped their price target on First Solar from $236.00 to $204.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Susquehanna dropped their price target on First Solar from $223.00 to $217.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 14th. KeyCorp lowered First Solar from a "sector weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $100.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on First Solar in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on First Solar from $236.00 to $215.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $224.48.

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.