First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.02 EPS

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) released its earnings results on Thursday. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02, FiscalAI reports. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from First Solar’s conference call:

• Record quarterly performance: First Solar reported more than $1 billion in Q2 sales, approximately 57% gross margin, $423 million in net income, and $644 million in adjusted EBITDA, while cumulative module sales surpassed 100 gigawatts.
• Contracted backlog stood at 45.1 gigawatts worth $13.6 billion, with deliveries extending through 2030; the company also added approximately 1.9 gigawatts of U.S. bookings at about $0.36 per watt and cited strong demand from hyperscaler-related projects.
• First Solar reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance and said its South Carolina finishing facility remains on track to begin production in the second half of 2026. CuRe technology is outperforming expectations, with its broader deployment expected to support efficiency, customer value, and margins.
• Trade-policy uncertainty remains a key risk. The company is awaiting decisions on the Section 232 polysilicon and derivatives investigation, FEOC rules, and other tariffs before determining the long-term use of approximately 1.8 gigawatts of Southeast Asian capacity, which is currently generating about $30 million per quarter in underutilization costs.
• First Solar continues to face elevated input and logistics costs, including domestic freight that can approach international shipping economics; management described the commodity-cost environment as challenging despite ongoing efforts to improve throughput, automation, and product efficiency.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR traded up $6.77 on Thursday, hitting $206.01. The stock had a trading volume of 2,394,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,698,135. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $246.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. First Solar has a twelve month low of $171.99 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The company has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.73.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have commented on FSLR. UBS Group raised their price objective 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 boosted their price objective on First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Guggenheim upped their target price on First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on First Solar from $230.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their target price on First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $257.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 420 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $90,564.60. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 10,896 shares in the company, valued at $2,349,504.48. The trade was a 3.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $145,500.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 worth $7,893,775 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Viking Global Investors LP grew its position in First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $459,917,000 after purchasing an additional 564,032 shares during the last quarter. Atreides Management LP acquired a new position in First Solar in the second quarter worth $65,134,000. Peconic Partners LLC acquired a new position in First Solar in the second quarter worth $49,662,000. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 2,863.1% in the fourth quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 235,504 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $61,521,000 after purchasing an additional 227,556 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported second-quarter diluted EPS of $3.92, well above analyst estimates of roughly $2.74–$2.90 and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA also increased to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed its 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion and maintained expectations for third-quarter module sales of 3.9 GW to 4.5 GW and adjusted EBITDA of $625 million to $775 million. First Solar Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar ended the quarter with approximately $1.7 billion in gross and net cash and a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 GW, supporting long-term revenue visibility. First Solar Q2 Revenue and Profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue totaled $1.06 billion, essentially matching estimates but declining about 4% year over year. Full-year guidance has a midpoint of $5.05 billion, slightly below the approximately $5.1 billion analyst consensus. First Solar Misses Q2 Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Customer contract terminations reduced revenue and offset higher third-party module sales, highlighting continued execution and demand risks despite the sizable backlog. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action alleging misleading statements about tariff impacts and international production challenges. The allegations remain unresolved, but the litigation adds headline and potential financial risk. First Solar Shareholder Action Reminder

First Solar Company 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.