Triodos Investment Management BV Sells 14,800 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Triodos Investment Management BV reduced its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 13.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 95,200 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 14,800 shares during the period. First Solar accounts for approximately 1.9% of Triodos Investment Management BV's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Triodos Investment Management BV owned approximately 0.09% of First Solar worth $21,464,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in First Solar by 411.1% during the second quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 138 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in First Solar during the first quarter worth about $25,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Managment Co. bought a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in First Solar during the first quarter worth about $32,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of First Solar from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Clarkson Capital began coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $270.00 target price for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $248.00 to $331.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $258.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.50, for a total transaction of $382,339.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $108,250. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total transaction of $1,913,418.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,468 shares in the company, valued at approximately $769,896. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.50, for a total value of $382,339.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 500 shares in the company, valued at $108,250. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 12,506 shares of company stock worth $2,827,217. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

First Solar Stock Up 1.9 %

NASDAQ FSLR traded up $4.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $227.37. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,235,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,579,445. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $224.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $205.69. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $129.21 and a twelve month high of $306.77. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.44.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 earnings per share (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 last year, the firm posted $1.85 EPS. First Solar's revenue was up 24.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.58 earnings per share for the current year.

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.