First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Acquired by American Century Companies Inc.

American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 33.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 57,292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,298 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $12,917,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of First Solar by 0.5% in the second quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 9,172 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,068,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. boosted its stake in First Solar by 1.6% during the first quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 3,232 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $546,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLC now owns 1,463 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 24.9% in the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 311 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 36.0% during the 1st quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 272 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR stock opened at $240.20 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $129.21 and a 1 year high of $306.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.18, a P/E/G ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The business’s 50-day moving average is $222.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $213.07.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.69 by $0.56. First Solar had a net margin of 31.98% and a return on equity of 17.73%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $939.71 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 24.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $108,250. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $108,250. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,885 shares of company stock worth $2,405,757. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on FSLR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. DZ Bank upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Susquehanna upped their price objective on First Solar from $258.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Oppenheimer raised their target price on First Solar from $325.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott lowered First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.46.

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.