First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Rating Increased to Buy at HSBC

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) was upgraded by analysts at HSBC from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

FSLR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 target price on First Solar in a report on Monday. Zacks Research raised First Solar from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Truist Financial reissued a “hold” rating and set a $229.00 price target (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $254.89.

First Solar Stock Performance

FSLR traded up $10.49 during trading on Friday, reaching $254.63. The company had a trading volume of 3,288,616 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,416,888. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $242.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $225.09. The company has a market cap of $27.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.68, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.75. First Solar has a 12-month low of $176.47 and a 12-month high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.18 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar will post 17.75 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $145,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,750. The trade was a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available 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 firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total value of $2,929,076.80. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 23,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,557,075.20. This trade represents a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 38,505 shares of company stock worth $9,398,886. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in First Solar by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $761,396,000 after acquiring an additional 24,206 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its stake 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 during the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in First Solar by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $578,791,000 after purchasing an additional 189,626 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $392,040,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in First Solar by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,427,105 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $372,803,000 after buying an additional 100,908 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: President Donald Trump imposed a 15% tariff and minimum import prices on polysilicon and downstream products under Section 232, effective December 4, 2026. The measures are intended to reduce reliance on Chinese supply and could improve the competitive position, pricing environment and demand outlook for First Solar’s U.S.-based manufacturing operations. Solar stocks shine after Trump extends China tariffs to polysilicon products
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar publicly supported the trade action, highlighting that Chinese producers control more than 90% of global polysilicon supply. Investors viewed the policy as particularly beneficial to First Solar because of its domestic, vertically integrated thin-film manufacturing platform, which is less dependent on crystalline-silicon inputs. First Solar Applauds Comprehensive Section 232 Action on Polysilicon and Derivatives
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its First Solar price target to $313 from $300 and maintained an “overweight” rating, saying the polysilicon order is more favorable for the company than previously expected. The new target implies meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. Wells Fargo raises First Solar price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent quarterly results provide additional support: First Solar reported $3.92 in earnings per share versus the $2.90 consensus estimate on approximately $1.06 billion of revenue, while management reaffirmed its outlook. However, revenue declined 3.4% year over year, leaving investors focused on the durability of future earnings and backlog conversion.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms are promoting a securities class action against First Solar and certain officers concerning alleged disclosure failures during the February 26, 2025–February 24, 2026 class period. The August 24, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline keeps potential legal costs, reputational risk and management disclosures in focus; the allegations have not been proven. FSLR Shareholder Alert

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.