South Dakota Investment Council Has $4.62 Million Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

South Dakota Investment Council cut its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 60.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 23,396 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 36,160 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in First Solar were worth $4,615,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% during the fourth quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $174,059,000 after buying an additional 642,199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 38.6% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $459,917,000 after buying an additional 564,032 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $206.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $171.99 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The firm has a market cap of $22.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.73. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $246.02 and its 200-day moving average is $225.33.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.93. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.First Solar’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total value of $1,191,375.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through 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 firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total value of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,557,075.20. This trade represents a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported second-quarter diluted EPS of $3.92, well above analyst estimates of roughly $2.74–$2.90 and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA also increased to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed its 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion and maintained expectations for third-quarter module sales of 3.9 GW to 4.5 GW and adjusted EBITDA of $625 million to $775 million. First Solar Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar ended the quarter with approximately $1.7 billion in gross and net cash and a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 GW, supporting long-term revenue visibility. First Solar Q2 Revenue and Profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue totaled $1.06 billion, essentially matching estimates but declining about 4% year over year. Full-year guidance has a midpoint of $5.05 billion, slightly below the approximately $5.1 billion analyst consensus. First Solar Misses Q2 Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Customer contract terminations reduced revenue and offset higher third-party module sales, highlighting continued execution and demand risks despite the sizable backlog. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action alleging misleading statements about tariff impacts and international production challenges. The allegations remain unresolved, but the litigation adds headline and potential financial risk. First Solar Shareholder Action Reminder

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

FSLR has been the subject of a number of research reports. Argus increased their price target on First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $245.00 to $272.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on First Solar in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $249.00 target price for the company. HSBC lifted their price target on First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, July 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $257.10.

First Solar Profile

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.