KeyCorp Has Negative Estimate for First Solar Q3 Earnings

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Stock analysts at KeyCorp decreased their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for First Solar in a note issued to investors on Sunday, September 27th. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp now expects that the solar cell manufacturer will earn $4.59 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $4.99. The consensus estimate for First Solar’s current full-year earnings is $17.78 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for First Solar’s Q4 2026 earnings at $5.12 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $16.85 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $22.62 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $25.53 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $29.36 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on FSLR. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Barclays increased their target price on First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $229.00 price objective (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Argus reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.53.

First Solar Trading Up 2.3%

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $176.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $209.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $220.68. First Solar has a twelve month low of $170.80 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The company has a market capitalization of $19.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.74.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.18 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Vega Investment Solutions purchased a new position in First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Samantha Sloan sold 127 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was 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 directly owned 7,471 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,635,775.45. The trade was a 31.43% 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 15,881 shares of company stock valued at $3,617,086. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc upgraded First Solar from Underweight to Sector Weight, citing the stock’s substantial decline and valuation as factors that limit further downside. The upgrade helped provide some support for the shares. KeyBanc Just Upgraded First Solar Stock. Here’s Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sell-side analysts now give First Solar an overall “Moderate Buy” rating, suggesting the valuation and long-term growth outlook remain attractive despite near-term uncertainty. First Solar Stock Now Rated Moderate Buy by Sell-Side Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp reduced its First Solar EPS estimates for the third quarter of 2026 to $4.59 from $4.99 and for the fourth quarter to $5.12 from $5.76. Its full-year 2026 forecast of $16.85 is also below the broader consensus of $17.78.
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp also trimmed its longer-term EPS forecasts to $22.62 for 2027, $25.53 for 2028 and $29.36 for 2029. Although the reductions are modest for 2027 and 2029, they weaken the expected earnings trajectory.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts highlighted medium-term pricing pressure from elevated U.S. inventory and slow project starts, while higher bond yields are weighing on solar stocks by increasing project financing costs. First Solar Faces Pricing Pressure Amid High Inventory and Slow Project Starts
• Negative Sentiment: A separate bearish analysis argued that the market remains unconvinced by First Solar’s investment case, reinforcing concerns about valuation, demand timing and near-term earnings execution. First Solar: Why the Market Still Doesn’t Believe the Story

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a solar technology and manufacturing company that designs and produces photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for utility-scale power projects. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), which the company says can provide advantages in energy yield, temperature performance and lifecycle sustainability.

The company’s product portfolio includes its Series 6 and Series 7 thin-film solar modules, along with related services such as technical support, module recycling and end-of-life collection.