Banco Santander S.A. Buys 6,075 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Banco Santander S.A. increased its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 127.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,853 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after buying an additional 6,075 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A.'s holdings in First Solar were worth $1,913,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $3,586,000. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 508.0% during the fourth quarter. Prescott Group Capital Management L.L.C. now owns 30,400 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $5,358,000 after acquiring an additional 25,400 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $3,853,000. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 42.0% in the 4th quarter. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,169 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 642 shares during the period. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. lifted its position in First Solar by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 87,323 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $15,390,000 after purchasing an additional 1,772 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,549 shares in the company, valued at $484,793.40. The trade was a 67.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,589,129.27. This represents a 17.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group decreased 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price objective on First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on First Solar in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $262.08.

First Solar Stock Down 4.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR traded down $6.02 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $133.11. The company had a trading volume of 3,446,450 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,741,593. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $166.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $193.80. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $124.96 and a 12-month high of $306.77. The company has a market capitalization of $14.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.14.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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). First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect 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.