First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-seven analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $279.04.

FSLR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $281.00 to $278.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on First Solar from $280.00 to $252.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on First Solar from $274.00 to $257.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on First Solar from $311.00 to $279.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AlphaMark Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new position in First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank bought a new position in First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 411.1% during the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 138 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 214.0% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Stock Down 4.6 %

First Solar stock traded down $8.39 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $175.88. The company had a trading volume of 2,518,923 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,503,231. First Solar has a 12 month low of $135.88 and a 12 month high of $306.77. The company has a market capitalization of $18.83 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.46. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $196.60 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $221.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.10 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $887.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.07 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.50 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 13.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.