Traders Buy High Volume of First Solar Put Options (NASDAQ:FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock investors acquired 31,358 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 21% compared to the average volume of 25,870 put options.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler maintained an “overweight” rating while lowering its price target from $260 to $251. The revised target still implies significant upside from recent trading levels. First Solar Stock Price Target Cut by Piper Sandler
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions, alleging unauthorized use of technology covered by its U.S. patent for manufacturing TOPCon solar cells. A successful case could help protect First Solar’s technology and competitive position, although litigation outcomes are uncertain. First Solar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks said First Solar has a strong history of earnings surprises and currently appears positioned for another potential quarterly earnings beat. Will First Solar Beat Estimates Again
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity—about 31,358 contracts, roughly 21% above average—signals increased investor hedging or bearish speculation, but does not by itself establish a fundamental change.
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar attracted unusually high investor search interest, indicating elevated attention around the stock but not necessarily a change in business fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp reduced its EPS forecasts for the third and fourth quarters and fiscal 2026 through 2029, citing a weaker earnings outlook. Its FY2026 estimate fell to $16.85 from $17.66, adding pressure to near-term expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports highlighted a potential 15% tariff, excess inventory and tight solar-panel pricing. These factors could pressure margins, demand and profitability despite First Solar’s recent quarterly earnings beat. First Solar Faces Tariff and Inventory Risks

First Solar Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $172.11 on Friday. First Solar has a 1-year low of $168.60 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The company has a market cap of $18.49 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a 50-day moving average of $208.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $220.36.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.18 earnings per share. First Solar’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that First Solar will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on FSLR. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday. Citigroup lowered shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 price target on First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Glj Research cut their price objective on First Solar from $315.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.23.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total value of $1,550,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. The trade was a 47.81% 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. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,881 shares of company stock worth $3,617,086. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Doliver Advisors LP lifted its position in First Solar by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Doliver Advisors LP now owns 4,271 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $748,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,017 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,892,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden grew its position in shares of First Solar by 25.1% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 97,856 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $23,090,000 after buying an additional 19,607 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 100.5% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $14,575,000 after buying an additional 30,967 shares during the period. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC bought a new position in First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

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.