Commerce Bank Takes Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Commerce Bank purchased a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 3,552 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $838,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,310,298,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $761,396,000 after purchasing an additional 24,206 shares during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP grew its position in shares of 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 worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Amundi grew its position in shares of First Solar by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $578,791,000 after buying an additional 189,626 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $392,040,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Argus reaffirmed its Buy rating and set a $275 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels and signaling confidence in First Solar’s valuation and outlook. Benzinga rating report
• Positive Sentiment: Potential U.S. government support could benefit First Solar. New Section 232 tariffs on polysilicon imports may encourage additional domestic-solar investment, including the possibility of government-backed equity arrangements modeled on the Intel deal. However, no such investment in First Solar has been confirmed. Trump solar tariffs article
• Positive Sentiment: Value-focused coverage remains supportive. Zacks identified FSLR as a highly ranked value stock, potentially attracting investors seeking comparatively inexpensive solar exposure. Zacks value-stock article
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer discussed First Solar alongside several other stocks, but the report provided no specific new recommendation or fundamental update for FSLR. Jim Cramer stock discussion
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data showed zero shares and zero days to cover, making the figures unreliable or non-informative for trading analysis.
• Negative Sentiment: New FCC restrictions on foreign inverters are favoring SolarEdge more directly, while First Solar and Enphase drifted lower. The policy divergence suggests investors do not view FSLR as a primary beneficiary of the inverter-related rule change. SolarEdge and inverter import curbs article
• Negative Sentiment: Two law firms announced investigations or investor solicitations involving First Solar. These notices can weigh on sentiment by raising concerns about potential shareholder litigation, although they do not establish wrongdoing or financial liability. First Solar investor alert

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total value of $1,550,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,081 shares of company stock worth $3,457,086. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $205.93 on Thursday. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $182.99 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The company has a market capitalization of $22.13 billion, a PE ratio of 12.70, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.75. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $225.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $223.58.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. HSBC raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Freedom Capital raised First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Citigroup raised their price target on First Solar from $294.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $265.37.

First Solar Company 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.