Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Invests $36.25 Million in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec bought a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 153,637 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $36,252,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec owned about 0.14% of First Solar as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,121,000. ABS Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth approximately $1,297,780,000. EFG International AG purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth approximately $1,107,000. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Redwood Grove Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $20,104,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR opened at $204.46 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $182.99 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95. The business has a 50-day moving average of $223.42 and a 200-day moving average of $223.38. The company has a market capitalization of $21.97 billion, a PE ratio of 12.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.75.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.18 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 price objective on shares of First Solar and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, HC Wainwright initiated coverage on First Solar in a report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.27.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares in the company, valued at $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 15,081 shares of company stock valued at $3,457,086 over the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO upgraded First Solar to Outperform and raised its price target to $263 from $237, implying substantial upside from the reference price. BMO reportedly believes the market reaction to the latest Section 232 tariff developments was overdone. BMO upgrades First Solar as tariff selloff looks overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Argus reiterated a Buy rating on First Solar, reinforcing the view that the company’s valuation and long-term growth prospects remain attractive despite recent volatility. Argus reiterates Buy rating for First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: A climate-finance expert said Wall Street may have misinterpreted the market’s response to the latest solar-tariff announcement, potentially easing concerns that trade policy will materially damage First Solar’s outlook. Wall Street misread the solar tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: An emergency order restricting certain foreign bulk-power-system equipment and software could benefit U.S. solar and energy-equipment manufacturers by supporting domestic suppliers, although the direct impact on First Solar is uncertain. Why solar stocks were rising overnight
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s latest quarterly results exceeded earnings expectations, but revenue declined year over year, leaving investors focused on policy developments and future demand rather than the reported quarter.
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer advised investors to stay away from First Solar, while Evercore ISI maintained an In-Line rating and trimmed its price target to $218, highlighting continued analyst disagreement and near-term uncertainty. Jim Cramer comments on First Solar

First Solar Company 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.