Empowered Funds LLC Buys 57,158 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 351.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 73,404 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 57,158 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.07% of First Solar worth $14,480,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Apollon Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $942,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in First Solar by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd raised its position in First Solar by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 4.1% during the fourth quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Burford Brothers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Burford Brothers Inc. now owns 19,080 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $4,984,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar enters its second-quarter report with a reported $14.4 billion backlog and strength from its U.S. manufacturing operations, factors that could support revenue visibility and domestic margins. First Solar to Release Q2 Earnings: Here’s What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar is scheduled to release second-quarter results, making the report a near-term catalyst. Analysts are focused on whether lower overseas production will pressure margins despite U.S. manufacturing strength and the company’s substantial backlog. First Solar Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action covering investors who purchased First Solar securities from February 26, 2025, through February 24, 2026. The firms allege that First Solar and certain executives misrepresented the effects of tariffs and the company’s market outlook. The case remains allegations, not proven wrongdoing, but it increases litigation and reputational risk. Investors have until August 24, 2026 to seek lead-plaintiff status. First Solar Class Action Notice
• Negative Sentiment: The litigation notices cite a prior 13.61% single-day stock decline and a reduction to 2026 guidance, reinforcing investor concerns about tariff exposure, execution and the reliability of management’s earlier outlook. First Solar Deadline Alert

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 9,926 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.21, for a total value of $2,314,842.46. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 95,148 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,189,465.08. The trade was a 9.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $199.31 on Thursday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $171.99 and a 1 year high of $320.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The company has a market capitalization of $21.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.73. The business has a 50-day moving average of $246.88 and a 200-day moving average of $225.56.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its 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. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The firm’s revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.95 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on FSLR. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, July 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $245.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $207.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.10.

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.