First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Shares Purchased by National Pension Service

National Pension Service raised its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 24.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,419 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 8,036 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in First Solar were worth $9,134,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $212,621,000. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Atreides Management LP acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at $65,134,000. Ariel Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $50,869,000. Finally, Peconic Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth $49,662,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Paul H. Stebbins sold 7,000 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.40, for a total transaction of $1,836,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 15,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,011,308.80. The trade was a 31.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael T. Sweeney sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.11, for a total transaction of $1,219,995.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 13,662 shares in the company, valued at $3,703,904.82. This represents a 24.78% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Solar Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $239.04 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $25.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a 50 day moving average of $254.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $231.16. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $116.56 and a 52-week high of $285.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on FSLR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on First Solar from $278.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Roth Mkm set a $300.00 price objective on First Solar in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of First Solar from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Glj Research raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $214.06 to $314.43 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $275.94.

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc (NASDAQ: FSLR) is a United States–based solar technology company best known for designing and manufacturing thin‑film photovoltaic (PV) modules that use cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor technology. The company supplies PV modules and delivers integrated solar power solutions for utility‑scale projects, positioning itself as a provider of both components and complete solar energy systems rather than solely a parts supplier. First Solar was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Beyond module manufacturing, First Solar offers a range of project services including development support, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, and operations and maintenance (O&M) for large-scale solar installations.