First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Stake Increased by SFE Investment Counsel

SFE Investment Counsel lifted its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 10.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 69,125 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,335 shares during the quarter. First Solar accounts for about 1.7% of SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in First Solar were worth $12,108,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in First Solar by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $362,396,000 after purchasing an additional 100,694 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in First Solar by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,305,471 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $257,441,000 after purchasing an additional 56,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $212,626,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.30 per share, beating estimates by roughly 14%, while net income increased 25% year over year. Strong margins and a reported $13.5 billion backlog provide support for longer-term earnings visibility. First Solar Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share-repurchase program, which could support per-share results and signal management’s confidence in long-term cash generation. First Solar Posts Strong Q3 Results and Launches Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar signed a U.S. patent licensing agreement with CubicPV covering perovskite technology, potentially advancing its next-generation solar-product development. The company also inaugurated the first phase of its South Carolina facility, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity. First Solar and CubicPV Enter U.S. Patent Licensing Agreement

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total value of $139,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,042 shares in the company, valued at approximately $877,308. The trade was a 13.69% 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. Insiders sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on FSLR. Needham & Company LLC reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $303.00 to $236.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 24th. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday. They set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of First Solar from $313.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $259.62.

First Solar Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $174.40 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $188.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $216.19. The firm has a market cap of $18.74 billion, a PE ratio of 10.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $165.86 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 37.12% and a return on equity of 18.78%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.24 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.