Trium Capital LLP Lowers Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Trium Capital LLP lessened its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 23.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,500 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 2,902 shares during the quarter. First Solar accounts for about 1.9% of Trium Capital LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Trium Capital LLP’s holdings in First Solar were worth $2,482,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 84.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $750,000 after purchasing an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth $494,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,027 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $22,849,000 after purchasing an additional 3,841 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on FSLR shares. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Evercore decreased their price target on First Solar from $241.00 to $212.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty investment 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.13.

First Solar Price Performance

First Solar stock opened at $197.25 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $117.65 and a 52 week high of $285.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $208.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $234.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.19 billion, a PE ratio of 13.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.61.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. First Solar’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In related news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 9,022 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.62, for a total value of $1,800,971.64. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 9,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,966,257. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 180 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.53, for a total value of $35,915.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 9,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,882,765.08. The trade was a 1.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 75,989 shares of company stock worth $14,921,902 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

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.