Lightrock Netherlands B.V. Has $5.32 Million Stake in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Lightrock Netherlands B.V. lowered its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 50.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 24,108 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 24,530 shares during the quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $5,317,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. SFE Investment Counsel raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 69,810 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $11,556,000 after acquiring an additional 5,852 shares in the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,323,000. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 2.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $881,680,000 after buying an additional 111,927 shares during the last quarter. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the third quarter worth $2,147,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 49.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 63,251 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $10,471,000 after buying an additional 20,884 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of FSLR opened at $242.15 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $257.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $227.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.60. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.32 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.56 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 16.61% and a net margin of 27.73%.First Solar’s revenue for the quarter was up 79.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.91 EPS. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.000-15.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target to $292 and kept a “positive” rating — a bullish signal implying meaningful upside from current levels. Susquehanna raises PT to $292
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada boosted its price target to $258, another analyst lift that supports investor confidence. RBC boosts PT to $258
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. Patent Office backing TOPCon-related protections for First Solar strengthens the company’s IP position and could improve long‑term valuation vs. competitors. Patent office backs TOPCon protections
• Positive Sentiment: Prominent market commentators (e.g., Josh Brown) are highlighting First Solar as a top pick, which can attract flows from discretionary investors. Josh Brown spotlights First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: Positive industry narratives (coverage on Saudi Arabia’s big solar push) are increasing interest in leading solar names, benefiting First Solar as a market share/technology leader. Saudi Arabia solar coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages still show overall favorable positioning — consensus rated “Moderate Buy” — which is supportive but not unequivocally bullish. Consensus “Moderate Buy”
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar is seeing heavy investor search/attention, which can amplify moves in either direction depending on follow‑through news. Investors heavily search FSLR
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed its price target to $271 but maintained a “buy” — a modest downgrade in upside expectations rather than a sell signal. BofA lowers PT to $271, keeps buy
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term underperformance vs. peers and a recent session where the stock declined have raised near‑term caution among momentum traders. Underperforms competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple legal actions and investor investigations (Pomerantz alert, potential class action filings) increase regulatory and litigation risk, a clear negative for sentiment and potential future costs. Pomerantz investor alert Class action report
• Negative Sentiment: Recent sell ratings and a new published “sell” note add downward pressure and can trigger stops or short interest. New sell rating reported

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $269.00 to $260.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Seaport Research Partners raised their price target on First Solar from $217.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on First Solar from $273.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen raised their target price on First Solar from $260.00 to $320.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $316.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.76.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Michael T. Sweeney sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.11, for a total transaction of $1,219,995.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 13,662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,703,904.82. This trade represents a 24.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 7,000 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.40, for a total transaction of $1,836,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 15,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,011,308.80. This trade represents a 31.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 48,912 shares of company stock worth $12,971,349 over the last 90 days. Corporate 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.