First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Alexander Bradley Sells 1,756 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Alexander Bradley sold 1,756 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $334,272.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 43,255 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,234,021.80. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

First Solar Stock Up 1.2%

First Solar stock traded up $2.42 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $197.80. 1,948,243 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,663,926. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a market cap of $21.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.56 and a 1-year high of $285.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $231.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $236.41.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. First Solar’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on FSLR (keeps conviction in demand and growth) even after lowering its price target to $228 from $279 — a signal that analysts still see upside despite nearer‑term headwinds. First Solar Gains Analyst Support (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media commentary highlights FSLR underperformance versus some energy peers this year, noting it has lagged while others surged — useful context for sector-relative positioning but not new company-specific data. FSLR Sinks While Peers Surge (24/7 Wall St.)
• Negative Sentiment: Large, clustered insider selling disclosed on March 9 — multiple executives (including CEO Mark Widmar, CFO and other senior officers) sold shares at ~ $190.36. Heavy, broad-based insider sales can raise short-term concern about insider conviction and may amplify downside if investors interpret them as signaling less confidence. See CEO filing. SEC Form 4 — CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: Pomerantz LLP has opened an investigation into First Solar on behalf of investors — this can increase legal uncertainty and headline risk while an inquiry develops. Pomerantz Investigation (GlobeNewswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental headwinds flagged: reporting highlights a rapidly shrinking backlog and potential long‑term exposure to phasing-out U.S. tax credits (scheduled 2030–2033), which could pressure bookings and margins over time if not offset by new contract wins or policy extensions. Backlog & Tax Credit Risk (Yahoo)

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in First Solar by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,026,108,000 after acquiring an additional 464,130 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $881,680,000 after purchasing an additional 111,927 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in First Solar by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $761,396,000 after buying an additional 24,206 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its stake in First Solar by 60.6% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in First Solar by 9.4% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $578,791,000 after buying an additional 189,626 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on First Solar in a report on Monday, January 12th. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Freedom Capital lowered shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, December 29th. HSBC restated a “hold” rating and set a $211.00 price target (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on First Solar from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.65.

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.