Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Insider Sells $79,845.60 in Stock

by · The Markets Daily

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLRGet Free Report) insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 408 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.70, for a total value of $79,845.60. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,101 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,781,065.70. The trade was a 4.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Kuntal Kumar Verma also recently made the following trade(s):

  • On Monday, March 9th, Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 1,386 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total value of $263,838.96.
  • On Wednesday, March 4th, Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 728 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total value of $143,379.60.
  • On Tuesday, March 3rd, Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,256.18.

First Solar Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of FSLR stock traded up $2.45 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $200.25. 1,419,294 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,617,317. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $231.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $236.41. The firm has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLRGet Free Report) last released 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 company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Joule Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in First Solar by 22.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,155 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $17,015,000 after purchasing an additional 13,904 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,193,000. State Street Corp increased its stake in First Solar by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $881,680,000 after buying an additional 111,927 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,147,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key First Solar News

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

  • Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating (keeps conviction in demand and growth outlook) even after trimming its price target to $228 from $279 — this provides analyst support that can underpin the stock. Barclays coverage
  • Positive Sentiment: Macro/sector pieces reiterate First Solar’s structural advantages (U.S. domestic CdTe manufacturing, large utility‑scale backlog), reinforcing a multi‑year growth case that many investors still price in. MarketBeat megatrends article
  • Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes FSLR has underperformed some energy peers year‑to‑date — a contextual point that can weigh on sentiment but is not company‑specific. 24/7 Wall St.
  • Negative Sentiment: Widespread insider selling on March 9: CEO Mark Widmar sold 5,537 shares (~$1.05M at ~$190.36) and multiple senior executives (CFO, CTO, GC, CAO, EVP and others) also reduced holdings. The breadth and seniority of the sales can be perceived negatively by the market even if some sales are for diversification or liquidity. See SEC filing for CEO sale. SEC Form 4 (CEO Widmar)
  • Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP issued an investor alert saying it is investigating claims on behalf of First Solar investors — potential litigation or regulatory scrutiny increases uncertainty and is typically a near‑term headwind. GlobeNewswire / Pomerantz alert

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Glj Research downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $314.43 to $207.82 in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price objective on First Solar from $150.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Wall Street Zen downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on First Solar in a report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $249.65.

Read Our Latest Research Report on First Solar

About First Solar

(Get Free Report)

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.

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