First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target Cut to $251.00 by Analysts at Piper Sandler

Key Points

• Piper Sandler cut First Solar’s price target from $260 to $251 but maintained an “overweight” rating, implying 41.86% upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average target price of $266.23, despite some recent downgrades and reduced estimates.
• First Solar beat quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $3.92 versus the $2.90 consensus, while revenue was $1.06 billion and declined 3.4% year over year; shares opened at $176.93, near their 52-week low.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by Piper Sandler from $260.00 to $251.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the solar cell manufacturer's stock. Piper Sandler's target price indicates a potential upside of 41.86% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on FSLR. Mizuho set a $324.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on First Solar from $318.00 to $290.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Citigroup cut First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. One equities 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $266.23.

First Solar Stock Up 2.3%

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $176.93 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $209.46 and a 200 day moving average of $220.68. First Solar has a 52 week low of $170.80 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.74.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.18 EPS. First Solar's quarterly revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 17.78 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 7,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,692,779.42. The trade was a 47.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha Sloan sold 127 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 15,881 shares of company stock valued at $3,617,086 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in First Solar by 5.7% in 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 acquiring an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Andra AP fonden increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 25.1% in the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 97,856 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $23,090,000 after purchasing an additional 19,607 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 100.5% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $14,575,000 after purchasing an additional 30,967 shares during the last quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth $232,000. Finally, National Pension Service lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 8.2% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 254,763 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $60,114,000 after purchasing an additional 19,358 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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.

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