XTX Topco Ltd Acquires 6,752 Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 184.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 10,417 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,752 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd’s holdings in First Solar were worth $2,349,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on FSLR shares. DZ Bank upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $350.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $343.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, August 29th. They issued a “market perform” rating on the stock. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott lowered First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.46.

First Solar Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $241.81 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $221.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $211.71. 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 company has a market capitalization of $25.88 billion, a PE ratio of 25.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.44. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $129.21 and a 1 year high of $306.77.

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

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total value of $1,913,418.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,468 shares in the company, valued at $769,896. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CAO Byron Michael Jeffers sold 1,766 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $108,250. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 8,619 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.00, for a total value of $1,913,418.00. Following the sale, the insider now 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 have sold 10,885 shares of company stock worth $2,405,757. Insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

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.