First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. decreased its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 38.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,727,923 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 1,073,993 shares during the quarter. First Solar makes up approximately 1.0% of BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.'s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. owned 1.61% of First Solar worth $389,578,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000,000. CWM LLC lifted its position in First Solar by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,171 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $546,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in First Solar by 23.2% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 75,805 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $13,088,000 after acquiring an additional 14,264 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in First Solar by 9.1% in the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 39,280 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $6,767,000 after acquiring an additional 3,275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westover Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Mizuho reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $274.00 price target (up from $209.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Clarkson Capital started coverage on First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on First Solar from $219.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on First Solar from $311.00 to $286.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on First Solar from $248.00 to $331.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $275.36.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR traded up $4.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $227.37. The company had a trading volume of 1,235,064 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,420,586. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $224.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $204.99. The stock has a market cap of $24.34 billion, a PE ratio of 23.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.44. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $129.21 and a 1-year high of $306.77. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.69 by $0.56. First Solar had a net margin of 31.98% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $939.71 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 24.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total transaction of $1,913,418.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $769,896. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other First Solar news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total value of $1,913,418.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,468 shares in the company, valued at $769,896. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $110,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,506 shares of company stock worth $2,827,217 in the last quarter. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

First Solar 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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