First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Bought by Buffington Mohr McNeal

Buffington Mohr McNeal boosted its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 22.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,786 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 862 shares during the period. Buffington Mohr McNeal’s holdings in First Solar were worth $1,194,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 39,269 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $6,765,000 after buying an additional 3,264 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 13.2% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,096 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $185,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new position in First Solar during the first quarter worth $982,000. Czech National Bank lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 18,799 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,173,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 17,469 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,949,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Clarkson Capital started coverage on First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. Barclays upped their price target on First Solar from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. William Blair started coverage on First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on First Solar from $344.00 to $307.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Roth Mkm decreased their price target on First Solar from $320.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.64.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.50, for a total transaction of $382,339.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $108,250. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other First Solar news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total transaction of $1,913,418.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $769,896. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.50, for a total value of $382,339.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $108,250. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,885 shares of company stock valued at $2,405,757. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $203.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a current ratio of 2.23. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $129.21 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.77 billion, a PE ratio of 21.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.44. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $227.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $222.24.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.69 by $0.56. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.73% and a net margin of 31.98%. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $939.71 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.85 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar Company Profile

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.