Flputnam Investment Management Co. Takes $688,000 Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Flputnam Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,917 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $688,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 117.0% in the 4th 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 during the period. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar’s latest results remain a fundamental support: the company reported quarterly earnings of $3.92 per share versus the $2.90 analyst consensus, reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and cited a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 gigawatts through 2030. Revenue was approximately $1.06 billion. First Solar Slides as Investors Weigh Tariff Uncertainty and Recent Policy Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed in the latest quarter: 488 investors added FSLR shares, while 610 reduced their holdings. Several large funds, including Capital World Investors, D. E. Shaw and JPMorgan, reported sizable additions, partly offset by reductions from other managers.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized an existing securities class-action lawsuit and the August 24 lead-plaintiff deadline. The suit reportedly concerns alleged misrepresentations about tariffs, guidance and production-facility utilization; the allegations have not been proven, but the repeated notices increase reputational and litigation overhang. FSLR Class Action Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about U.S. solar trade policy. A new 15% duty on polysilicon derivatives and a minimum import-price framework could benefit domestic manufacturers over time, but may also disrupt demand, pricing and customer purchasing decisions. First Solar’s own 2026 outlook continues to include a net tariff-related impact. Tariff Uncertainty and Recent Policy Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option volume rose about 77% above its typical level, signaling increased demand for downside protection or bearish speculation. In addition, reported insider activity showed sales but no open-market purchases over the past six months, another factor that may weigh on confidence.

Insider Activity

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total transaction of $1,191,375.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total value of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This trade represents a 30.88% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 30,979 shares of company stock valued at $7,694,724. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the subject of several research reports. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $279.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 price target on shares of First Solar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $261.75.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $217.85 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.76. The business has a 50-day moving average of $232.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $224.63. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $182.99 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.18 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.