62,221 Shares in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Bought by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 62,221 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $14,681,000.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth about $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP purchased a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $620,133,555. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in First Solar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $212,626,000. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP increased its holdings in First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $204.46 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $223.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $223.38. The company has a market cap 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $182.99 and a 1-year high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,402,513.12. This trade represents a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FSLR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 target price on shares of First Solar and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.27.

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.