Triodos Investment Management BV Has $36.74 Million Stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Triodos Investment Management BV raised its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 119.0% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 208,450 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 113,250 shares during the period. First Solar comprises 3.0% of Triodos Investment Management BV’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. Triodos Investment Management BV’s holdings in First Solar were worth $36,737,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 214.0% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in First Solar by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR stock opened at $126.60 on Friday. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $151.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $185.87. The firm has a market cap of $13.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.90, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $124.32 and a 1 year high of $306.77.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.81 by ($1.16). The company had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on FSLR. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on First Solar from $307.00 to $267.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of First Solar from $273.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Mizuho raised shares of First Solar from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $218.00 to $259.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, March 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $262.08.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $80,116.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 45,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,114,648.75. The trade was a 1.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,966 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $262,952.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,890 shares in the company, valued at $14,965,287.50. This trade represents a 1.73 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158 over the last ninety days. 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.