NewEdge Wealth LLC Purchases New Stake in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• NewEdge Wealth acquired 4,792 First Solar shares worth approximately $1.13 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 92.08% of FSLR.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $264.44; several firms recently raised their targets.
• First Solar exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $3.92 versus the $2.90 consensus, though revenue declined 3.4% year over year. The company also faces securities-litigation allegations tied to production underutilization and South Carolina manufacturing costs.

NewEdge Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,792 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $1,131,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,310,298,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at about $392,040,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $212,626,000. Viking Global Investors LP raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $200,109,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup lifted their target price on First Solar from $294.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on First Solar from $245.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a 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 research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, HSBC raised shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $264.44.

First Solar Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $214.28 on Friday. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $228.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.21, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.75. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $182.99 and a twelve month high of $320.95.

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

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total transaction of $749,903.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 7,471 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,635,775.45. The trade was a 31.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 23,792 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,557,075.20. This represents a 30.88% 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,709 shares of company stock valued at $6,386,163. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

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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