First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler Sells 1,325 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 1,325 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total value of $252,227.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 9,862 shares in the company, valued at $1,877,330.32. The trade was a 11.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

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

• On Wednesday, March 4th, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,640 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was 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 Stock Performance

FSLR traded up $2.42 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $197.80. 1,948,243 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,663,926. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.56 and a 52 week high of $285.99. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $231.30 and a 200 day moving average of $236.41. The stock has a market cap of $21.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.92, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its earnings results 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). First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The company had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on FSLR (keeps conviction in demand and growth) even after lowering its price target to $228 from $279 — a signal that analysts still see upside despite nearer‑term headwinds. First Solar Gains Analyst Support (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Media commentary highlights FSLR underperformance versus some energy peers this year, noting it has lagged while others surged — useful context for sector-relative positioning but not new company-specific data. FSLR Sinks While Peers Surge (24/7 Wall St.)
• Negative Sentiment: Large, clustered insider selling disclosed on March 9 — multiple executives (including CEO Mark Widmar, CFO and other senior officers) sold shares at ~ $190.36. Heavy, broad-based insider sales can raise short-term concern about insider conviction and may amplify downside if investors interpret them as signaling less confidence. See CEO filing. SEC Form 4 — CEO Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Investor litigation alert: Pomerantz LLP has opened an investigation into First Solar on behalf of investors — this can increase legal uncertainty and headline risk while an inquiry develops. Pomerantz Investigation (GlobeNewswire)
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental headwinds flagged: reporting highlights a rapidly shrinking backlog and potential long‑term exposure to phasing-out U.S. tax credits (scheduled 2030–2033), which could pressure bookings and margins over time if not offset by new contract wins or policy extensions. Backlog & Tax Credit Risk (Yahoo)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

FSLR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of First Solar from $292.00 to $280.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. DZ Bank upgraded First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Mizuho cut their target price on First Solar from $326.00 to $271.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Argus reduced their price target on First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $249.65.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. raised its stake 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 buying an additional 642,199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its stake 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 buying an additional 564,032 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

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.