First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CEO Mark R. Widmar Sells 1,272 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total transaction of $169,125.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 109,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,492,640. This trade represents a 1.15 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

First Solar Trading Down 4.3 %

FSLR opened at $133.11 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.47, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $166.18 and its 200-day moving average is $193.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $124.96 and a 52-week high of $306.77.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.81 by ($1.16). The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. Analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on FSLR. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on First Solar from $335.00 to $304.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $273.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $282.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.08.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new stake in First Solar in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 214.0% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.