Hill City Capital LP Takes $620.13 Billion Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Hill City Capital disclosed a new 2.63 million-share position in First Solar, reported as valued at approximately $620.1 billion, representing about 2.45% of the company and 14.5% of the fund’s holdings. Institutional investors collectively own 92.08% of FSLR.
• First Solar reported quarterly earnings of $3.92 per share, beating the $2.90 consensus estimate, although revenue declined 3.4% year over year to $1.06 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with a $264.44 average price target.
• The company could benefit as weaker solar-sector competitors face bankruptcies, but investors also face securities-litigation risks related to alleged production underutilization and costly South Carolina manufacturing expansion challenges.

Hill City Capital LP bought a new stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,628,130 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $620,133,555,000. First Solar comprises about 14.5% of Hill City Capital LP's holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Hill City Capital LP owned approximately 2.45% of First Solar as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,310,298,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter worth $392,040,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth $212,626,000. 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 worth $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Polar Capital Holdings Plc purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $200,109,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

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 Price Performance

FSLR opened at $214.28 on Monday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $228.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $224.21. First Solar, Inc. has a 52-week low of $182.99 and a 52-week high of $320.95. The company has a market cap of $23.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.21, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.76.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on FSLR. Robert W. Baird set a $318.00 price target on shares of First Solar and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 price target on First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on First Solar from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Evercore reissued a "positive" rating and issued a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $264.44.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the 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 directly owned 2,018 shares of the company's stock, valued at $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their position. 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 sold a total of 25,709 shares of company stock worth $6,386,163 in the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is owned by 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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