Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Grows Stock Position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 9.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 595,267 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,074 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned 0.56% of First Solar worth $104,910,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. SteelPeak Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 247.8% in the fourth quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 6,087 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,073,000 after buying an additional 4,337 shares in the last quarter. Buffington Mohr McNeal grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Buffington Mohr McNeal now owns 5,289 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $932,000 after buying an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 9,298 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,639,000 after buying an additional 1,291 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,440,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 90.6% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,466 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $258,000 after buying an additional 697 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $160.24 on Wednesday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $135.88 and a 1-year high of $306.77. 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 market capitalization of $17.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 1.49. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $187.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $206.91.

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 business had revenue of $887.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.50 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on FSLR. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $335.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Barclays lowered their price objective on First Solar from $275.00 to $273.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on First Solar from $329.00 to $297.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. StockNews.com upgraded First Solar from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Hsbc Global Res upgraded First Solar to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $276.29.

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.