Pacer Advisors Inc. Buys 396,611 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Key Points

• Pacer Advisors increased its First Solar stake by 4,606.4% in the first quarter, buying 396,611 shares to own 405,221 shares valued at approximately $79.9 million. Institutional investors collectively hold 92.08% of FSLR.
• First Solar reported quarterly EPS of $3.92, exceeding analyst expectations, while revenue reached $1.06 billion but declined 3.4% year over year. Analysts expect approximately $17.53 in full-year EPS.
• FSLR opened at $211.03, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $252.86.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) by 4,606.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 405,221 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock after buying an additional 396,611 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. owned about 0.38% of First Solar worth $79,934,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FSLR. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in First Solar by 29.3% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,138,473 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $224,540,000 after purchasing an additional 258,204 shares during the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $1,697,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1,054.3% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 52,219 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $13,641,000 after buying an additional 47,695 shares in the last quarter. Genus Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,525,000. Finally, TABR Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,626,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $211.03 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $22.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.76. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $245.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $225.14. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $171.99 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. First Solar's revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.18 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $107,383.74. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,712 shares in the company, valued at $6,622,428.56. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was 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 $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775 over the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

First Solar News Summary

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $207.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Freedom Capital raised First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Evercore boosted their price objective on First Solar from $212.00 to $219.00 in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Argus increased their target price on First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $252.86.

About First Solar

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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