Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc. Has $3.28 Million Stock Holdings in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)

Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 321.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,635 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,209 shares during the quarter. First Solar accounts for 2.4% of Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in First Solar were worth $3,284,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in First Solar by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. bought a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Financial Avengers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at approximately $77,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on FSLR shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho upgraded First Solar from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $218.00 to $259.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on First Solar from $304.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Barclays dropped their target price on First Solar from $273.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.42.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $484,793.40. This trade represents a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total transaction of $169,125.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,492,640. The trade was a 1.15 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158. 0.58% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Solar Stock Up 7.7 %

Shares of FSLR opened at $129.63 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $141.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $177.84. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $306.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The firm has a market cap of $13.88 billion, a PE ratio of 11.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.48.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($1.16). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. Analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

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.