Trust Co. of Vermont Grows Stock Holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,687 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 336 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in First Solar were worth $1,355,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Western Financial Corp CA bought a new stake in First Solar during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,209,000. Stifel Financial Corp grew its holdings in First Solar by 36.9% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 21,446 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $5,350,000 after buying an additional 5,780 shares in the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of First Solar by 802.1% during the third quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,460 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $5,104,000 after buying an additional 18,192 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 224.0% during the third quarter. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,217 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,301,000 after acquiring an additional 3,607 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 6.4% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 244,140 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $60,898,000 after acquiring an additional 14,597 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Solar Price Performance

First Solar stock opened at $192.88 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $20.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 1.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $190.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $209.78. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $135.88 and a 1 year high of $306.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.10 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $887.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.50 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Guggenheim decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $368.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $260.00 price target (down from $286.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on First Solar from $274.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 31st. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $252.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $277.75.

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.