First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Sells $338,975.00 in Stock

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 1,937 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $338,975.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 12,536 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,193,800. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Markus Gloeckler also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, March 7th, Markus Gloeckler sold 679 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $108,640.00.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $174.60 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. First Solar, Inc. has a 12 month low of $129.21 and a 12 month high of $232.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $154.59 and a 200-day moving average of $154.86. The company has a market capitalization of $18.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.56, a P/E/G ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.41.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.19 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.31 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 13.80% and a net margin of 25.03%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.07) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.52 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $258.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday. Mizuho raised their price target on First Solar from $188.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered First Solar from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $215.00 to $187.00 in a research report on Monday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on First Solar in a research report on Friday, December 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $211.00 target price on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $231.48.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. First Pacific Financial acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Managment Co. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Estabrook Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Headinvest LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.