First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by Voya Investment Management LLC

Voya Investment Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 34.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,251,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 655,791 shares during the quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC owned approximately 1.17% of First Solar worth $220,651,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Virtu Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 38.5% in the 3rd quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 8,041 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $2,006,000 after buying an additional 2,235 shares during the last quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 10.7% during the third quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc now owns 12,449 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $3,105,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199 shares in the last quarter. Blankinship & Foster LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $935,000. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp increased its stake in First Solar by 33.3% during the 3rd quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 24,553 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $6,125,000 after purchasing an additional 6,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 10.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 131,634 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $32,835,000 after buying an additional 12,439 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR traded up $5.42 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $141.86. The company had a trading volume of 2,698,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,783,160. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.56 and a twelve month high of $306.77. The stock has a market cap of $15.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $133.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.70.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $230.00 target price (down previously from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Mizuho upgraded First Solar from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $218.00 to $259.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down previously from $285.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $304.00 to $253.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $249.96.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In related news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $80,116.25. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. The trade was a 1.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total transaction of $3,039,360.78. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 103,403 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,589,129.27. This represents a 17.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158 in the last ninety days. 0.48% of the stock is owned by 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.