Geode Capital Management LLC Increases Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,206 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in First Solar were worth $761,396,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in First Solar by 117.0% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: GLJ Research upgraded First Solar to Buy from Hold and raised its price target, giving traders a fresh catalyst and helping fuel the latest jump in shares. First Solar (FSLR) Shares Skyrocket, What You Need To Know
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest is being boosted by expectations for potential U.S. trade-policy developments, including a possible Section 232 backdrop that could support domestically produced solar modules and improve pricing power for First Solar. First Solar shares jump as investors bet on favorable U.S. trade-policy backdrop and extend post-earnings momentum
• Positive Sentiment: The stock is also benefiting from post-earnings momentum, a breakout to fresh highs, and broader enthusiasm for solar names tied to rising AI data-center electricity demand. Solar Stocks To Watch As AI Drives Energy Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple recent articles note that First Solar is breaking out and attracting momentum traders, which can amplify moves as investors chase strength. Stock Market Today: Indexes Rise On U.S.-Iran Deal Hopes; Snowflake Surges, First Solar Breaks Out (Live Coverage)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains supportive overall, with a recent consensus rating of “Moderate Buy,” reinforcing a constructive longer-term view. First Solar, Inc. Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the rally, insider activity has shown heavy selling over the past six months, which may temper enthusiasm for some investors. First Solar shares jump as investors bet on favorable U.S. trade-policy backdrop and extend post-earnings momentum

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $306.79 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $213.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $231.67. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.50 and a 1-year high of $313.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The stock has a market cap of $32.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.57.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.95 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 9,926 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.21, for a total value of $2,314,842.46. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 95,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,189,465.08. This represents a 9.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, 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 transaction of $1,800,971.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 9,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,966,257. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 97,827 shares of company stock worth $20,006,930. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on FSLR shares. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. DZ Bank raised shares of First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. HSBC increased their price target on shares of First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $247.40.

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.