Alexander R. Bradley Sells 599 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $80,116.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. This represents a 1.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

First Solar Trading Up 1.6 %

FSLR opened at $129.34 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $124.96 and a 12 month high of $306.77. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $158.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $189.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $254.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 target price (down previously from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.08.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position 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 worth $39,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Finally, Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. bought a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.