Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC Invests $5.30 Million in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 20,303 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $5,304,000. First Solar accounts for about 1.8% of Lee Johnson Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FSLR. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in First Solar by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,015 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Quantum Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $204,000. First Heartland Consultants Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $228,000. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 297.4% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 98,381 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $25,700,000 after acquiring an additional 73,625 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in First Solar by 582.4% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 244,399 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $63,844,000 after acquiring an additional 208,585 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Trading Up 1.5%

FSLR opened at $192.85 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $219.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $236.32. The firm has a market cap of $20.69 billion, a PE ratio of 13.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.56 and a twelve month high of $285.99. 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 (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on FSLR. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $316.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Glj Research downgraded shares of 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. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $248.17.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fundamentals: the company reported revenue that beat Street expectations and retains strong profitability metrics (high net margin and healthy return on equity), which supports valuation arguments after the stock pulled back from recent highs.
• Positive Sentiment: “3 Reasons We Love First Solar” highlights longer‑term growth drivers and argues the recent pullback offers a buying opportunity for patient investors. 3 Reasons We Love First Solar (FSLR)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports published for March show anomalous data (reported as 0 shares and NaN changes across several feeds). This looks like a data glitch rather than a genuine surge in shorting activity; therefore short‑interest signals are inconclusive today.
• Negative Sentiment: Negative media takes: “Bear of the Day” pieces argue First Solar hasn’t benefited from higher fossil‑fuel prices and highlight downside risks, which can weigh on sentiment. Bear Of The Day: First Solar (FSLR) Zacks Bear Of The Day
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation risk: Pomerantz LLP has opened an investigation into First Solar, which can increase legal overhang and investor uncertainty until resolved. Pomerantz Investigates First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings context: the company’s latest quarter showed a revenue beat but an EPS miss vs. consensus, which helps explain recent downside pressure and keeps some traders cautious.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 14,106 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $2,820,776.82. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,000 shares in the company, valued at $5,999,100. The trade was a 31.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $1,516,106.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 91,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,983,826.91. This represents a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 75,989 shares of company stock valued at $14,921,902 in the last ninety days. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About First Solar

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.