Amundi Lowers Stake in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Amundi cut its First Solar stake by 7.5% in the first quarter, selling 165,996 shares and retaining 2.05 million shares worth approximately $404.3 million, or 1.91% of the company.
• Other major institutions generally increased their holdings, and institutional investors collectively own 92.08% of First Solar. The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $3.22 and revenue of $1.04 billion, up 23.6% year over year.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $257.10 price target, although recent insider selling and litigation notices alleging misrepresented tariff and market risks add potential concerns.

Amundi decreased its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 7.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,049,465 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 165,996 shares during the period. Amundi owned approximately 1.91% of First Solar worth $404,260,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $761,396,000 after buying an additional 24,206 shares during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its stake in First Solar by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,427,105 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $372,803,000 after acquiring an additional 100,908 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in First Solar by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,386,880 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $362,295,000 after purchasing an additional 37,349 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

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

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued 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 the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The company's revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.95 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Barclays raised their price objective on First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $245.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $257.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

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 transaction of $2,314,842.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 95,148 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,189,465.08. The trade was a 9.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 566 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $122,046.58. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 19,918 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,294,918.34. This trade represents a 2.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

About First Solar

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.

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