Xponance Inc. Purchases 1,747 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Xponance Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 11.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,990 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,747 shares during the period. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $2,994,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 214.0% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Finally, Financial Avengers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth $77,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Trading Up 2.2 %

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $131.32 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $156.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $188.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.14. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $124.96 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The company has a market cap of $14.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on FSLR shares. UBS Group cut their target price on First Solar from $360.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. 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 research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Mizuho raised shares of First Solar from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $218.00 to $259.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.08.

Insider Activity

In related news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 380 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $50,825.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 17,594 shares in the company, valued at $2,353,197.50. This represents a 2.11 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total value of $169,125.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 109,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,492,640. The trade was a 1.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.58% 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.