First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Acquired by Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 46.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,147 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 3,206 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in First Solar were worth $1,788,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 2.2% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,956,633 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $1,236,383,000 after purchasing an additional 108,984 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in First Solar by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,602,503 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $647,440,000 after buying an additional 24,143 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 75.8% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,097,364 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $523,166,000 after acquiring an additional 904,498 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of First Solar by 31.0% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 1,805,244 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $336,871,000 after acquiring an additional 426,797 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 7.3% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,330,675 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $331,924,000 after acquiring an additional 90,249 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $128.82 on Tuesday. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $124.96 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $187.25. The company has a market capitalization of $13.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $230.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $254.00 to $236.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, February 27th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $262.08.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total value 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158. 0.58% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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