Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA Raises Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 338.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 38,532 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 29,740 shares during the quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA’s holdings in First Solar were worth $10,066,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in First Solar in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Total Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in First Solar in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, NBT Bank N A NY boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 550.0% in the 3rd quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 221 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional support remains a tailwind: Polen Capital and other large investors continue to highlight First Solar’s differentiated CdTe technology and U.S.-manufacturing exposure as contributors to performance, which supports demand and the long-term investment case. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim kept a Buy rating while lowering its price target (still implying upside), signaling that at least some sell‑side institutions view the stock as attractively valued despite near‑term uncertainty. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Planned U.S. capacity build — First Solar will open a module finishing line in South Carolina late 2026 to improve logistics, tariff positioning and local sourcing; positive for medium‑term execution but unlikely to offset near‑term sales/permit headwinds immediately. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage re‑calibration: Evercore ISI trimmed its price target to $212 but kept an In‑Line rating — a modest tweak that reduces upside expectations without a full downgrade. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and policy uncertainty: analysts flagged First Solar’s signal that 2026 net sales could fall short amid U.S. policy uncertainty and permitting delays — this is a clear near‑term earnings/revenue risk that prompted sentiment shifts. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and target cuts: GLJ Research moved FSLR from Buy to Hold and several firms have trimmed targets — a collective analyst pullback pressures sentiment and can cap short‑term upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider & executive selling: multiple filings show insider sales (including a sizable ~14k‑share reported sale), which can stoke investor caution even if some sales are routine liquidity events. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk / headline volatility: Pomerantz LLP issued an investor alert investigating claims on behalf of First Solar investors — introduces potential litigation risk and short‑term headline‑driven volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Sentiment erosion from ratings shops: Zacks downgraded FSLR to “strong sell” — adds to negative analyst noise and can influence short‑term flows. Read More.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 335 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total value of $67,268.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 34,060 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,839,248. The trade was a 0.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 9,022 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.62, for a total transaction of $1,800,971.64. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 9,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,966,257. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 75,989 shares of company stock valued at $14,921,902 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $199.65 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $222.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $235.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.56 and a 1 year high of $285.99. The firm has a market cap of $21.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.05, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.65.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on First Solar from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, January 12th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Freedom Capital lowered shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $248.17.

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.