Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Sells $73,894.40 in Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 368 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $73,894.40. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 10,348 shares in the company, valued at $2,077,878.40. The trade was a 3.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Markus Gloeckler also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 9th, Markus Gloeckler sold 1,325 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $252,227.00.
• On Wednesday, March 4th, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,640 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total value of $716,898.00.
• On Tuesday, March 3rd, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,060.25.

First Solar Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $199.65 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $222.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.98. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99. The company has a market cap of $21.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.05, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.65.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. First Solar’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. manufacturing expansion: First Solar plans a new module finishing line in South Carolina (late 2026) to improve logistics, reduce tariff exposure and increase U.S. content — a strategic move that supports long‑term policy tailwinds and could improve project economics and order visibility. First Solar Expansion And Institutional Support Shape Valuation And Risk Profile
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional support and continued Buy ratings from some firms: Guggenheim retained a Buy stance and kept institutional interest alive by keeping a constructive view even after lowering its target, which can help attract longer‑term investors. Guggenheim price target update
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst recalibrations: Evercore ISI trimmed its price target to $212 but maintained an In Line rating — a moderated expectation rather than a full downgrade, suggesting operational/forecast tweaks rather than structural concerns. Evercore ISI lowers price target
• Neutral Sentiment: GLJ Research moved FSLR from Buy to Hold — another signal of more cautious near‑term expectations but not a consensus sell call. GLJ Research rating change
• Negative Sentiment: Concentrated insider selling: multiple senior executives (CFO, CEO, General Counsel and others) disclosed large share sales in close succession. Clustered, sizable insider dispositions can weigh on sentiment and raise short‑term selling pressure. Representative SEC filing: CFO Form 4. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: Pomerantz LLP issued an investor alert announcing an investigation into First Solar, introducing potential headline‑driven volatility and litigation risk that investors typically dislike. Pomerantz investor alert
• Negative Sentiment: Broker downgrades: Zacks cut FSLR to a “strong sell” and other firms have trimmed targets — these negative analyst notes increase near‑term selling pressure and can influence quant/CTA flows. Zacks downgrade

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP increased its position in First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at about $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% in the 4th quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $174,059,000 after purchasing an additional 642,199 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $459,917,000 after purchasing an additional 564,032 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Robert W. Baird restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $205.00 price target (down from $264.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Glj Research lowered shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $314.43 to $207.82 in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $205.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $248.17.

About First Solar

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.