First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CEO Mark R. Widmar Sells 1,966 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,966 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $262,952.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,890 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,965,287.50. The trade was a 1.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSLR traded up $2.86 on Friday, hitting $131.32. The stock had a trading volume of 4,507,994 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,566,034. The company's 50-day moving average is $157.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.89. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $124.96 and a one year high of $306.77. The stock has a market cap of $14.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. On average, analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on First Solar from $282.00 to $268.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Bank of America cut their target price on First Solar from $246.00 to $236.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $254.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $262.08.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $317,399,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of First Solar by 75.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,097,364 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $523,166,000 after purchasing an additional 904,498 shares during the period. Demars Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 17,404.5% in the 4th quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC now owns 722,760 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $127,379,000 after buying an additional 718,631 shares in the last quarter. Mirova US LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 961.0% in the 4th quarter. Mirova US LLC now owns 646,310 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $113,906,000 after buying an additional 585,394 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in First Solar by 31.0% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 1,805,244 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $336,871,000 after buying an additional 426,797 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

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.