20,303 Shares in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Purchased by Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC

Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 20,303 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,304,000. First Solar comprises about 1.8% of Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in FSLR. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in First Solar by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,026,108,000 after acquiring an additional 464,130 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in First Solar by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $881,680,000 after purchasing an additional 111,927 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its stake in First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $459,917,000 after buying an additional 564,032 shares during the period. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its position in First Solar by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,350,084 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $223,493,000 after buying an additional 47,646 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 180 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.53, for a total value of $35,915.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,882,765.08. This trade represents a 1.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 14,106 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $2,820,776.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,999,100. This represents a 31.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 75,989 shares of company stock worth $14,921,902. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on FSLR. HSBC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $211.00 price objective (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Daiwa Securities Group upped their price target on First Solar from $215.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial began coverage on First Solar in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $248.17.

First Solar Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $192.85 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The company has a market capitalization of $20.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $285.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $219.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.32.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.65 EPS. Research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals: the company reported revenue that beat Street expectations and retains strong profitability metrics (high net margin and healthy return on equity), which supports valuation arguments after the stock pulled back from recent highs.
• Positive Sentiment: “3 Reasons We Love First Solar” highlights longer‑term growth drivers and argues the recent pullback offers a buying opportunity for patient investors. 3 Reasons We Love First Solar (FSLR)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports published for March show anomalous data (reported as 0 shares and NaN changes across several feeds). This looks like a data glitch rather than a genuine surge in shorting activity; therefore short‑interest signals are inconclusive today.
• Negative Sentiment: Negative media takes: “Bear of the Day” pieces argue First Solar hasn’t benefited from higher fossil‑fuel prices and highlight downside risks, which can weigh on sentiment. Bear Of The Day: First Solar (FSLR) Zacks Bear Of The Day
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation risk: Pomerantz LLP has opened an investigation into First Solar, which can increase legal overhang and investor uncertainty until resolved. Pomerantz Investigates First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings context: the company’s latest quarter showed a revenue beat but an EPS miss vs. consensus, which helps explain recent downside pressure and keeps some traders cautious.

First Solar Company 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.