First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Has Average Price Target of $266.53 According to Analysts

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-seven research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $266.23.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. HSBC upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. BMO Capital Markets cut First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, September 28th.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Patent lawsuit could protect technology and pricing: First Solar sued JA Solar and American Panel Solutions, reportedly a Corning subsidiary, alleging infringement of its U.S. patent covering manufacturing methods for TOPCon solar cells. Successful enforcement could help protect First Solar’s intellectual property and competitive position. First Solar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Potential earnings support: First Solar has a history of exceeding earnings expectations. Analysts are watching the upcoming report for evidence that strong execution and the company’s relatively low valuation can offset industry headwinds. Will First Solar Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher put-option activity signals caution: Traders purchased 31,358 put options, about 21% above average volume. This indicates increased hedging or bearish speculation ahead of earnings, but it does not necessarily represent a change in the company’s fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: Inventory and policy pressures remain significant: Elevated U.S. solar-panel inventories, slower utility-scale project starts, tight pricing, and a new 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives are complicating supply-chain planning and could pressure margins or near-term demand. How Investors Are Reacting to First Solar Inventory Glut, New Tariffs and Slower Project Starts
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target reduction adds pressure: Piper Sandler cut its price target for First Solar, reinforcing concerns about near-term industry conditions and the stock’s substantial decline from its 12-month high. First Solar Stock Price Target Cut by Piper Sandler

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In related news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total transaction of $139,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $877,308. This represents a 13.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Doliver Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 11.3% in the third quarter. Doliver Advisors LP now owns 4,271 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings 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 valued at $1,892,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden raised its holdings 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 valued at $23,090,000 after buying an additional 19,607 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in First Solar by 100.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $14,575,000 after acquiring an additional 30,967 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $232,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $174.61 on Wednesday. First Solar has a 1 year low of $168.60 and a 1 year high of $320.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $207.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $220.18. The company has a market cap of $18.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.77, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. First Solar’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.18 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that First Solar will post 17.64 EPS for the current year.

First Solar Company Profile

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.