Avalon Trust Co Increases Stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Avalon Trust Co grew its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 140,035 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,130 shares during the period. First Solar makes up 1.8% of Avalon Trust Co's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Avalon Trust Co owned about 0.13% of First Solar worth $24,680,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 74,803 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $13,183,000 after acquiring an additional 2,686 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $4,647,000. LBP AM SA raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 34.3% in the 4th quarter. LBP AM SA now owns 47,013 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $8,286,000 after acquiring an additional 12,012 shares during the last quarter. PGGM Investments acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $953,000. Finally, Tredje AP fonden raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 13.2% in the 4th quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 17,910 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $3,156,000 after acquiring an additional 2,091 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

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Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $80,116.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. This represents a 1.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total transaction of $169,125.12. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,492,640. This represents a 1.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on FSLR. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $335.00 to $304.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $360.00 to $285.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 2nd. Four 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $262.08.

First Solar Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of FSLR stock traded up $2.00 on Wednesday, hitting $129.34. 2,050,229 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,554,298. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $124.96 and a one year high of $306.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.14. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $159.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $189.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52.

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

First Solar Company 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.