Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Purchases 20,420 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 17.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 134,487 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 20,420 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $23,557,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of FSLR. Secure Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 24,653 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $4,318,000 after acquiring an additional 3,183 shares during the last quarter. Novem Group grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Novem Group now owns 5,574 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $976,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 58.7% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 3,266 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $572,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208 shares during the last quarter. New England Research & Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $447,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 42.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 64,624 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $11,320,000 after purchasing an additional 19,240 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $318.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Roth Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 24th. Mizuho set a $324.00 target price on First Solar in a report on Thursday, August 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of First Solar from $310.00 to $272.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Glj Research cut their price target on shares of First Solar from $315.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.73.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,402,513.12. This trade represents a 39.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 16,681 shares of company stock worth $3,756,286 in the last 90 days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $171.99 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $18.48 billion, a PE ratio of 10.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $168.60 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $192.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $218.21.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.18 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital issued a Buy rating on First Solar, providing a constructive analyst signal that may support investor confidence in the company’s long-term growth prospects. First Solar Gets a Buy from BMO Capital
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investors are focused on whether U.S. demand for domestically manufactured solar panels is strengthening. Firm domestic demand could benefit First Solar’s production utilization and revenue outlook. Is Domestic Panel Demand Firming for First Solar?
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar is scheduled to report quarterly earnings, making the upcoming results, management guidance and commentary on demand key near-term catalysts. First Solar Projected to Announce Quarterly Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention has increased, with First Solar appearing among trending stocks. The heightened visibility could increase trading activity but does not itself change the company’s fundamentals. First Solar Is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage is also highlighting First Solar’s substantial cash position, which may provide financial flexibility for expansion and help cushion periods of industry volatility. Should You Buy First Solar Stock For Its Cash?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks reported that First Solar underperformed the broader market in the latest session, reflecting near-term selling pressure. First Solar Declines More Than the Market
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings analysis says First Solar lacks the combination of earnings-estimate revisions and surprise indicators typically associated with a likely earnings beat. That raises the risk of a cautious reaction if results or guidance disappoint. First Solar Earnings Expected to Grow

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.