Premier Fund Managers Ltd Sells 1,000 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Premier Fund Managers Ltd cut its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 61,479 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Premier Fund Managers Ltd owned 0.06% of First Solar worth $10,944,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 214.0% during 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 raised its position in First Solar by 31.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $53,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $80,116.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,114,648.75. This trade represents a 1.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,966 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $262,952.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 111,890 shares in the company, valued at $14,965,287.50. The trade was a 1.73 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158 in the last ninety days. 0.58% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on FSLR shares. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Bank of America cut their price target on First Solar from $246.00 to $236.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of First Solar from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on First Solar from $282.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.08.

First Solar Trading Up 0.2 %

FSLR opened at $126.60 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $124.32 and a 1-year high of $306.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $151.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $185.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.55 billion, a PE ratio of 10.90, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($1.16). The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion for 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%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Solar Company 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.