First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by Rakuten Securities Inc.

Rakuten Securities Inc. lowered its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 95.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 382 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 8,122 shares during the period. Rakuten Securities Inc.'s holdings in First Solar were worth $95,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 6.4% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 244,140 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $60,898,000 after buying an additional 14,597 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,657 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $912,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Mivtachim The Workers Social Insurance Fund Ltd. Under Special Management bought a new stake in First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $17,635,000. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp raised its holdings in First Solar by 4.8% in the third quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 1,450 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $362,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Down 0.1 %

First Solar stock traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $182.13. The company had a trading volume of 2,662,209 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,515,195. The business has a fifty day moving average of $217.70 and a 200 day moving average of $225.68. The stock has a market cap of $19.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.74, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.48. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $135.88 and a 1 year high of $306.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted 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 company 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 firm's revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.50 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Clarkson Capital initiated coverage on First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. They set a "buy" rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $260.00 price objective (down previously from $286.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of America decreased their price target on First Solar from $321.00 to $269.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded shares of First Solar from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $200.00 to $254.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $280.50.

About First Solar

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.