Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Invests $4.02 Million in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 17,265 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,019,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in First Solar by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% in the second 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 during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 84.3% in the second 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 bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after buying an additional 1,115 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $204.46 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $223.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $223.39. The company has a market cap of $21.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.75. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $182.99 and a twelve month high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.18 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Evercore restated a “positive” rating and issued a $218.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 17th. Mizuho set a $324.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $229.00 target price (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.27.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: BMO upgraded First Solar to Outperform and raised its price target to $263 from $237, implying substantial upside from the reference price. BMO reportedly believes the market reaction to the latest Section 232 tariff developments was overdone. BMO upgrades First Solar as tariff selloff looks overdone
• Positive Sentiment: Argus reiterated a Buy rating on First Solar, reinforcing the view that the company’s valuation and long-term growth prospects remain attractive despite recent volatility. Argus reiterates Buy rating for First Solar
• Positive Sentiment: A climate-finance expert said Wall Street may have misinterpreted the market’s response to the latest solar-tariff announcement, potentially easing concerns that trade policy will materially damage First Solar’s outlook. Wall Street misread the solar tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: An emergency order restricting certain foreign bulk-power-system equipment and software could benefit U.S. solar and energy-equipment manufacturers by supporting domestic suppliers, although the direct impact on First Solar is uncertain. Why solar stocks were rising overnight
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar’s latest quarterly results exceeded earnings expectations, but revenue declined year over year, leaving investors focused on policy developments and future demand rather than the reported quarter.
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer advised investors to stay away from First Solar, while Evercore ISI maintained an In-Line rating and trimmed its price target to $218, highlighting continued analyst disagreement and near-term uncertainty. Jim Cramer comments on First Solar

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at $449,913.10. This trade represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total transaction of $749,903.75. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 7,471 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,635,775.45. This represents a 31.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

First Solar 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.