First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Sep 26th, 2026

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Thursday. The company traded as low as $181.61 and last traded at $181.2130, with a volume of 895897 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $191.97.

More First Solar News

Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:

Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird maintained an “outperform” rating while lowering its price target from $318 to $290. GLJ Research also retained a buy rating despite reducing its target to $250 from $314.43, indicating analysts still see substantial long-term upside. First Solar Stock Hits 52-Week Low
Positive Sentiment: Several large institutions increased their First Solar holdings during the second quarter, including Capital World Investors, D. E. Shaw, JPMorgan and Samlyn Capital. The company also continues to trade below the median analyst price target of $250, although target reductions have weakened the near-term sentiment.
Neutral Sentiment: Solar stocks broadly declined as elevated borrowing costs made utility-scale project financing more expensive. Because First Solar’s customers often depend on financing to develop projects, higher-for-longer interest rates could delay orders and pressure sector valuations. Solar Stocks Slide as High Borrowing Costs Weigh on Project Financing
Negative Sentiment: Analyst target cuts from Baird and GLJ Research cited weaker booking visibility and uncertainty around near-term demand. The stock’s decline below its prior 52-week low has likely intensified technical and momentum-driven selling. FSLR Stock Hits Fresh 52-Week Low
Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about U.S. solar tax-credit and trade-policy uncertainty. First Solar’s decision to withdraw its TOPCon patent complaint from the U.S. International Trade Commission and continue in federal court may remove a potentially faster route to import restrictions, reducing a near-term catalyst. First Solar Falls as Investors Weigh Patent-Case Shift and a Lower Price Target
Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity shows substantial selling and no purchases among listed executives over the past six months, a potential confidence signal for investors. Institutional positioning is mixed, with more funds reducing positions than adding them in the latest quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on FSLR shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Mizuho set a $324.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $260.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.53.

View Our Latest Report on First Solar

First Solar Trading Up 3.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $19.09 billion, a PE ratio of 10.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.74. The business has a 50-day moving average of $210.69 and a 200 day moving average of $220.84.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.18 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other First Solar news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total value of $749,903.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 7,471 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,635,775.45. This trade represents a 31.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% 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 15,881 shares of company stock valued at $3,617,086 in the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 5.7% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,017 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,892,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden grew its stake in First Solar by 25.1% in the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 97,856 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $23,090,000 after purchasing an additional 19,607 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC increased its position in shares of First Solar by 100.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $14,575,000 after purchasing an additional 30,967 shares during the last quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $232,000. Finally, National Pension Service raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 254,763 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $60,114,000 after purchasing an additional 19,358 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

First Solar, Inc is a renewable energy technology company that designs and manufactures photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe). The company also provides supporting services, including project development, engineering, procurement and construction support, operations and maintenance, and module recycling.

First Solar primarily serves utility-scale solar developers, system owners and operators, commercial customers, and government entities.