Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Free Report) by 351.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 73,404 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 57,158 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in First Solar were worth $14,480,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in First Solar by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,143,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 84.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $750,000 after purchasing an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after buying an additional 1,115 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.
Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar
In related news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total value of $1,191,375.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. The trade was a 30.88% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.
First Solar News Roundup
- Positive Sentiment: First Solar enters its second-quarter report with a reported $14.4 billion backlog and strength from its U.S. manufacturing operations, factors that could support revenue visibility and domestic margins. First Solar to Release Q2 Earnings: Here’s What You Need to Know
- Neutral Sentiment: First Solar is scheduled to release second-quarter results, making the report a near-term catalyst. Analysts are focused on whether lower overseas production will pressure margins despite U.S. manufacturing strength and the company’s substantial backlog. First Solar Earnings Preview
- Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action covering investors who purchased First Solar securities from February 26, 2025, through February 24, 2026. The firms allege that First Solar and certain executives misrepresented the effects of tariffs and the company’s market outlook. The case remains allegations, not proven wrongdoing, but it increases litigation and reputational risk. Investors have until August 24, 2026 to seek lead-plaintiff status. First Solar Class Action Notice
- Negative Sentiment: The litigation notices cite a prior 13.61% single-day stock decline and a reduction to 2026 guidance, reinforcing investor concerns about tariff exposure, execution and the reliability of management’s earlier outlook. First Solar Deadline Alert
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms recently weighed in on FSLR. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on First Solar from $255.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group upped their target price on First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Mizuho increased their target price on First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $207.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.10.
Read Our Latest Research Report on First Solar
First Solar Stock Performance
Shares of FSLR opened at $199.31 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $246.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $225.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.73. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $171.99 and a 52 week high of $320.95.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.95 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
First Solar 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.
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