First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-two brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation, eighteen have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $246.1044.

FSLR has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on First Solar from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on First Solar from $205.00 to $187.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Bank of America cut their price objective on First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, March 27th.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and healthy fundamentals: First Solar reported stronger‑than‑expected Q1 results (EPS and revenue upside, strong margins), which supports the company’s medium‑term earnings outlook. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage support: Several firms have reiterated buys or raised targets recently (Freedom Broker/Freedom Capital upgrade to strong‑buy, Barclays and Susquehanna issued buy notes, HSBC raised its PT to $231), giving buyers ammunition. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executive Form 4 filings show modest insider sales; company says sales were to cover tax withholding on vested awards — routine but sometimes interpreted as short‑term selling pressure. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst scorecard is mixed: while many analysts remain constructive, several have adjusted price targets and ratings incrementally — the street’s consensus is still a “Moderate Buy” but with a wide range of PTs. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context: peer reports are mixed (e.g., SolarEdge posted a wider Q1 loss even as revenues rose), which can create uneven flows across solar names. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and demand uncertainty flagged by commentators: several pieces warn that unresolved policy (Section 201/232 and other rules) and order cadence risks could blunt near‑term upside and increase volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysis highlights downside scenarios — watch module ASPs, order flow and final policy outcomes; these items likely explain some of the profit‑taking after recent gains. Read More.

First Solar Trading Down 1.6%

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $214.57 on Friday. First Solar has a one year low of $127.32 and a one year high of $285.99. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $196.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $231.41. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $23.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.95 earnings per share. First Solar’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar will post 17.58 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 215 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $46,360.45. Following the sale, the insider owned 14,642 shares in the company, valued at $3,157,254.46. This trade represents a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 235 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $50,673.05. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,596,955.78. The trade was a 3.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 81,204 shares of company stock valued at $16,043,186. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP raised its position in shares of First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter worth $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% in the fourth quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $174,059,000 after buying an additional 642,199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 38.6% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $459,917,000 after buying an additional 564,032 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Solar

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.