First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Sold by D.A. Davidson & CO.

D.A. Davidson & CO. reduced its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,039 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 92 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $1,506,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FSLR. AlphaMark Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the third quarter worth $25,000. Kennebec Savings Bank acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the third quarter worth $29,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 411.1% in the second quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 138 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth about $36,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Up 3.5 %

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $199.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $208.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $225.41. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $135.88 and a one year high of $306.77. The company has a market capitalization of $21.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.14.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $2.91 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by ($0.19). First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The firm had revenue of $887.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.50 earnings per share. First Solar’s revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on FSLR shares. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 price objective (down previously from $286.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $315.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of First Solar to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup raised First Solar from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $200.00 to $254.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on First Solar from $271.00 to $266.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $279.04.

About First Solar

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.