Stock analysts at BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Zacks reports. The firm set a “strong-buy” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock.
Several other research firms have also recently commented on FSLR. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and issued a $246.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Truist Financial raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $229.00 to $270.00 in a research report on Monday, October 12th. William Blair set a $248.00 price objective on First Solar in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $199.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $259.62.
Read Our Latest Analysis on FSLR
First Solar Stock Down 1.4%
Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $174.40 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.80. First Solar has a 52 week low of $165.86 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $188.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $216.19.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 37.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.24 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that First Solar will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total transaction of $139,200.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $877,308. The trade was a 13.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha Sloan sold 127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This trade represents a 5.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 in the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth approximately $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 7.0% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $362,396,000 after acquiring an additional 100,694 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in First Solar by 4.5% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,305,471 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $257,441,000 after acquiring an additional 56,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter valued at $212,626,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key First Solar News
Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.30 per share, beating estimates by roughly 14%, while net income increased 25% year over year. Strong margins and a reported $13.5 billion backlog provide support for longer-term earnings visibility. First Solar Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
- Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share-repurchase program, which could support per-share results and signal management’s confidence in long-term cash generation. First Solar Posts Strong Q3 Results and Launches Buyback Plan
- Positive Sentiment: First Solar signed a U.S. patent licensing agreement with CubicPV covering perovskite technology, potentially advancing its next-generation solar-product development. The company also inaugurated the first phase of its South Carolina facility, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity. First Solar and CubicPV Enter U.S. Patent Licensing Agreement
First Solar Company Profile
First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.
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