27,988 Shares in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Bought by Raymond James Financial Inc.

Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 27,988 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $4,933,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 9,210 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $1,623,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Doliver Advisors LP grew its stake in First Solar by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Doliver Advisors LP now owns 4,713 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $831,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 31.7% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its position in First Solar by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 2,090 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $368,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 15.3% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 511 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total transaction of $1,021,085.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,549 shares in the company, valued at $484,793.40. This trade represents a 67.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total transaction of $3,039,360.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 103,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,589,129.27. The trade was a 17.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on FSLR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price objective on First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $240.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $236.00 to $215.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $249.96.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $141.86 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $116.56 and a one year high of $306.77. The company has a market cap of $15.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.48. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $133.46 and a 200-day moving average of $169.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.81 by ($1.16). The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. Equities research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FSLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.