Green Alpha Advisors LLC Makes New $1.10 Million Investment in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Green Alpha Advisors initiated a First Solar position worth approximately $1.10 million, while institutional investors collectively own 92.08% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $264.44; Morgan Stanley recently raised its target to $323.
• First Solar exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $3.92 in EPS versus the $2.90 consensus, though revenue declined 3.4% year over year. The company also faces securities-litigation allegations involving production underutilization and South Carolina manufacturing expansion challenges.

Green Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 4,678 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $1,104,000.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in First Solar in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,310,298,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth $212,626,000. Viking Global Investors LP grew its holdings in First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Finally, Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter valued at $200,109,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on FSLR. Zacks Research raised First Solar from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $245.00 to $272.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings raised First Solar from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Evercore restated a "positive" rating and set a $218.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $264.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of First Solar 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 25,709 shares of company stock worth $6,386,163 in the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar could benefit competitively as a wave of bankruptcies pressures weaker solar-sector companies, potentially improving its relative market position and customer opportunities. First Solar stands to gain as bankruptcy wave hits solar sector
• Neutral Sentiment: The securities class action covers investors who purchased First Solar shares between February 26, 2025, and February 24, 2026. Investors have been urged to seek lead-plaintiff status by August 24. The deadline notices from Kaplan Fox, Pomerantz, Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, SBS, DJS and other firms largely repeat the same information and do not represent a new operating announcement by First Solar. Kaplan Fox class action deadline notice
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit alleges that First Solar and certain officers violated federal securities laws by making misleading statements or omissions. Reported areas of investor concern include underutilization in Series 6 module production and costly challenges associated with expanding domestic manufacturing operations in South Carolina. If the case advances, it could create legal costs, potential damages and reputational risk for First Solar. SueWallSt First Solar class action allegations

First Solar Trading Up 0.1%

FSLR stock opened at $214.28 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $182.99 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The firm has a market cap of $23.03 billion, a PE ratio of 13.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.75. The business's 50-day moving average price is $228.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $224.26.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company's revenue for the quarter was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.18 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.72 earnings per share for the current year.

First Solar 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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