Groupe la Francaise Sells 36,510 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise cut its First Solar stake by 66.4%, selling 36,510 shares during the first quarter and retaining 18,456 shares valued at approximately $3.64 million.
• First Solar reported quarterly EPS of $3.92, beating estimates of $2.90, while revenue reached $1.06 billion but declined 3.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $252.86; institutional investors own 92.08% of the company.

Groupe la Francaise decreased its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 66.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,456 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after selling 36,510 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise's holdings in First Solar were worth $3,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FSLR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Freedom Capital raised shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Argus raised their price objective on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised First Solar from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $252.86.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $211.03 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $245.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $225.23. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $171.99 and a 12-month high of $320.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.73.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued 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. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.42%. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.18 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Profit and margins exceeded expectations. First Solar reported second-quarter EPS of $3.92, well above the $2.99 analyst consensus and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Gross margin expanded to approximately 57%, while adjusted EBITDA rose to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar's Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Decrease Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong long-term demand visibility supported the bullish reaction. Management highlighted a record backlog, 45.1 gigawatts of contracted sales at quarter-end, domestic manufacturing expansion, technology investments and policy-driven opportunities extending through 2030. The company also cited a cumulative production milestone above 100 GW. FSLR Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Domestic Solar Push
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintained bullish ratings. Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating with a $310 price target, while Needham maintained Buy with a $303 target, citing attractive valuation, demand momentum and potential support from Section 232 tariffs. First Solar: Strong Q2 Beat and Solid Demand Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year guidance was reaffirmed. First Solar maintained 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion, broadly in line with expectations. However, the midpoint is slightly below consensus, limiting the upside from the earnings beat. First Solar Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined year over year. Sales fell about 4% to $1.06 billion, primarily because customer contract cancellations offset higher third-party module sales. The company is also navigating Section 232 tariff uncertainty and rising input costs. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Securities litigation remains an overhang. Multiple law firms publicized a shareholder class action concerning alleged misrepresentations about tariffs and production challenges, with an August 24, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline. These notices may pressure sentiment, although they do not represent a court finding of wrongdoing. Kaplan Fox First Solar Shareholder Notice

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This represents a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $145,500.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,750. This trade represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775 in the last three months. 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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