Centaurus Financial Inc. Makes New Investment in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Centaurus Financial Inc. acquired a new position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,873 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,150,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Formula Growth Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,433,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,842,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in First Solar in the second quarter worth $2,607,000. Palogic Value Management L.P. bought a new position in First Solar during the second quarter valued at about $1,026,000. Finally, Panoramic Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,669,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO upgrades First Solar to Outperform: BMO Capital Markets raised its rating from Market Perform and increased its price target from $237 to $263, citing an overly severe post-Section 232 selloff and improved risk/reward. First Solar raised at BMO as post-Section 232 selloff looks overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Argus reiterates a Buy rating: Argus Research maintained its Buy recommendation and assigned a $275 target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. First Solar receives a Buy from Argus Research
• Positive Sentiment: Tariff reaction may have been excessive: A climate-finance expert argued that Wall Street misinterpreted the latest solar-tariff announcement. The view supports First Solar as a U.S.-based manufacturer that could benefit from policies favoring domestic solar supply chains. Wall Street misread the solar tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: Policy developments support domestic production: New restrictions on certain foreign bulk-power equipment and discussions around tariffs on imported polysilicon could improve the competitive position of U.S. solar manufacturers, although any government support remains speculative. Why are solar stocks rising overnight?
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s latest reported quarter exceeded earnings expectations, with $3.92 in EPS versus a $2.90 consensus estimate, though revenue declined year over year. Analysts currently project approximately $17.77 in full-year EPS.
• Negative Sentiment: Not all market commentary is bullish: Jim Cramer advised caution on First Solar, while an earlier comparison showed some solar peers benefiting more directly from equipment-import restrictions. Policy uncertainty and tariff implementation remain risks. Jim Cramer commentary on First Solar

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. The trade was a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,402,513.12. This represents a 39.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $210.10 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $224.48 and a 200 day moving average of $223.52. The stock has a market cap of $22.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.75. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $182.99 and a 12 month high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.18 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded First Solar from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Mizuho set a $324.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 price target on First Solar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.27.

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.