First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Given New $211.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price target increased by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $209.50 to $211.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price points to a potential upside of 18.82% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on FSLR. Janney Montgomery Scott initiated coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, April 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $236.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI raised shares of First Solar from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $227.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. DZ Bank assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $205.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $196.00 to $209.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of First Solar from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $187.00 to $250.00 in a research report on Friday, April 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $236.32.

First Solar Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $177.58 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.92, a current ratio of 3.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. First Solar has a 52 week low of $129.21 and a 52 week high of $232.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $164.33 and its 200 day moving average is $157.70. The company has a market cap of $19.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.94, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.37.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its 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. First Solar had a net margin of 25.03% and a return on equity of 13.80%. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.07) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that First Solar will post 13.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.34, for a total transaction of $37,085.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,170 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $766,917.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Georges Antoun sold 16,667 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.55, for a total value of $2,592,551.85. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 42,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,539,477.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.34, for a total transaction of $37,085.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $766,917.80. 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. 0.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Family Legacy Inc. raised its stake in First Solar by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Family Legacy Inc. now owns 4,950 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $836,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 36.0% during the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 272 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Atticus Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 15.6% during the first quarter. Atticus Wealth Management LLC now owns 534 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $90,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of First Solar by 10.7% during the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 765 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $129,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AtonRa Partners raised its position in shares of First Solar by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. AtonRa Partners now owns 3,600 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $620,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Company 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.