First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Upgraded to Outperform at Mizuho

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Mizuho from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has a $259.00 price objective on the solar cell manufacturer's stock, up from their prior price objective of $218.00. Mizuho's price target suggests a potential upside of 62.12% from the company's previous close.

FSLR has been the subject of several other research reports. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $335.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $260.00 target price (down from $286.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott raised shares of First Solar from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $260.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $276.38.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $159.76. 1,404,950 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,265,855. First Solar has a 52 week low of $141.70 and a 52 week 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 $180.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $202.14. The company has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.47.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter valued at about $650,000. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,971 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $991,000 after buying an additional 331 shares during the period. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt grew its position in shares of First Solar by 350.0% during the 3rd quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 900 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $224,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 429.9% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 1,775 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $443,000 after buying an additional 1,440 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 555.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 236 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.