Candriam S.C.A. Sells 10,052 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. reduced its First Solar stake by 8.9% in the first quarter, selling 10,052 shares and leaving it with 102,792 shares worth about $20.3 million.
• First Solar posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.22 beating estimates and revenue of $1.04 billion, up 23.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive, with several firms lifting price targets and the consensus rating sitting at “Moderate Buy” with a $254.31 target, though class-action-related legal headlines continue to weigh on sentiment.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its position in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 8.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 102,792 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 10,052 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A. owned approximately 0.10% of First Solar worth $20,277,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR traded down $0.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $227.83. 1,337,585 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,725,917. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $159.85 and a one year high of $320.95. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The business has a 50-day moving average of $250.91 and a 200 day moving average of $230.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.72, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.73.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.95 EPS. First Solar's revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Guggenheim boosted their price target on First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. 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 report on Monday, July 6th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $230.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Evercore boosted their target price on First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a report on Monday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $254.31.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target on First Solar to $270 from $250 and maintained a positive rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s upside potential. Benzinga report on Susquehanna price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted First Solar as a strong value stock, which may support the longer-term investment case but is unlikely to move the shares on its own. Zacks value stock article
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued class-action reminders and lead-plaintiff deadline alerts tied to First Solar, reinforcing legal uncertainty and potential investor concern around the company. Newsfile class action alert
• Negative Sentiment: Recent coverage also tied the stock’s weakness to the earlier steep selloff and reduced 2026 guidance, which continues to hang over sentiment. PR Newswire class action alert

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was 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 owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at $6,557,075.20. The trade was a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total value of $145,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their position. 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 have sold a total of 32,466 shares of company stock valued at $8,014,105 over the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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