First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Acquired by AtonRa Partners

AtonRa Partners increased its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,600 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 79 shares during the quarter. First Solar comprises approximately 1.2% of AtonRa Partners’ holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position. AtonRa Partners’ holdings in First Solar were worth $620,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 18,634 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,011,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management grew its holdings in First Solar by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 12,294 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,987,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 24.3% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 445 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Guinness Atkinson Asset Management Inc raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.2% during the third quarter. Guinness Atkinson Asset Management Inc now owns 7,409 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,197,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ABLE Financial Group LLC grew its position in First Solar by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. ABLE Financial Group LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR traded up $2.10 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $180.83. The stock had a trading volume of 1,305,453 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,067,255. The company has a market capitalization of $19.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.41. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $163.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $157.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a current ratio of 3.55. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $129.21 and a 52 week high of $232.00.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.19 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.31 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 25.03% and a return on equity of 13.80%. First Solar’s quarterly revenue was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.07) EPS. Analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 679 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $108,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,473 shares in the company, valued at $2,315,680. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 679 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $108,640.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,473 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,315,680. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 16,667 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.55, for a total value of $2,592,551.85. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 42,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,539,477.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,620 shares of company stock valued at $4,269,540. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on FSLR. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $187.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $258.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, April 5th. Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, April 18th. Evercore ISI raised First Solar from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $227.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Mizuho upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $188.00 to $196.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $233.92.

First Solar Profile

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.