First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Price Down 0.5% – Time to Sell?

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)’s stock price was down 0.5% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $127.40 and last traded at $130.23. Approximately 523,410 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 2,662,889 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.90.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on FSLR. Barclays dropped their price target on First Solar from $273.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 28th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $360.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective (down previously from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on First Solar from $335.00 to $304.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.08.

First Solar Stock Up 0.6 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $170.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $196.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05.

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

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $484,793.40. The trade was a 67.81 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total transaction of $3,039,360.78. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 103,403 shares in the company, valued at $14,589,129.27. This represents a 17.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the third quarter worth $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% 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.