Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Purchases Shares of 7,365 First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 7,365 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,657,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 126.9% during the 2nd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 152 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in First Solar by 69.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 183 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Total Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, NBT Bank N A NY grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 550.0% during the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 221 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $242.15 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.56 and a 52 week high of $285.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $257.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $226.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.60.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.32 by ($0.08). First Solar had a net margin of 27.73% and a return on equity of 16.61%. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.56 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.91 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 79.7% on a year-over-year basis. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.000-15.000 EPS. Research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America cut their price target on First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $269.00 to $260.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets upped their price target on First Solar from $215.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold 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 $276.76.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.40, for a total transaction of $1,836,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 15,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,011,308.80. This represents a 31.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Michael T. Sweeney sold 4,500 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.11, for a total value of $1,219,995.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 13,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,703,904.82. This trade represents a 24.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 48,912 shares of company stock worth $12,971,349. 0.48% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $292 and kept a “positive” rating — a bullish signal implying meaningful upside from current levels. Susquehanna raises PT to $292
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada boosted its price target to $258, another analyst lift that supports investor confidence. RBC boosts PT to $258
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Patent Office backing TOPCon-related protections for First Solar strengthens the company’s IP position and could improve long‑term valuation vs. competitors. Patent office backs TOPCon protections
• Positive Sentiment: Prominent market commentators (e.g., Josh Brown) are highlighting First Solar as a top pick, which can attract flows from discretionary investors. Josh Brown spotlights First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: Positive industry narratives (coverage on Saudi Arabia’s big solar push) are increasing interest in leading solar names, benefiting First Solar as a market share/technology leader. Saudi Arabia solar coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages still show overall favorable positioning — consensus rated “Moderate Buy” — which is supportive but not unequivocally bullish. Consensus “Moderate Buy”
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar is seeing heavy investor search/attention, which can amplify moves in either direction depending on follow‑through news. Investors heavily search FSLR
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed its price target to $271 but maintained a “buy” — a modest downgrade in upside expectations rather than a sell signal. BofA lowers PT to $271, keeps buy
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term underperformance vs. peers and a recent session where the stock declined have raised near‑term caution among momentum traders. Underperforms competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple legal actions and investor investigations (Pomerantz alert, potential class action filings) increase regulatory and litigation risk, a clear negative for sentiment and potential future costs. Pomerantz investor alert Class action report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent sell ratings and a new published “sell” note add downward pressure and can trigger stops or short interest. New sell rating reported

First Solar 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.