First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 39.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,486 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 2,971 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in First Solar were worth $791,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in FSLR. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC now owns 9,210 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,623,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Doliver Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Doliver Advisors LP now owns 4,713 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $831,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of First Solar by 31.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 2,090 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 511 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $90,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $127.98 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $306.77. The stock has a market cap of $13.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.02, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a 50-day moving average of $136.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.03.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued 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 company 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, research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on FSLR. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on First Solar from $223.00 to $217.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. StockNews.com raised First Solar from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic initiated coverage on First Solar in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $251.63.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total transaction of $80,116.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 45,717 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,114,648.75. This represents a 1.29 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 380 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 value of $50,825.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 17,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,353,197.50. This represents a 2.11 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

First Solar 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.