Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Cuts Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. decreased its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 5.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 228,455 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 14,041 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $45,065,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $145,500.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,241,750. This trade represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. The trade was a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 32,466 shares of company stock worth $8,014,105. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target on First Solar to $270 from $250 and maintained a positive rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s upside potential. Benzinga report on Susquehanna price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted First Solar as a strong value stock, which may support the longer-term investment case but is unlikely to move the shares on its own. Zacks value stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued class-action reminders and lead-plaintiff deadline alerts tied to First Solar, reinforcing legal uncertainty and potential investor concern around the company. Newsfile class action alert
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage also tied the stock’s weakness to the earlier steep selloff and reduced 2026 guidance, which continues to hang over sentiment. PR Newswire class action alert

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. HSBC upped their target price on First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $255.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $254.31.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $227.83 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $250.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $230.60. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $159.85 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The stock has a market cap of $24.48 billion, a PE ratio of 14.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.95 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.