Renaissance Technologies LLC Takes $20.02 Million Position in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 101,500 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock, valued at approximately $20,022,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 0.09% of First Solar as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its stake in First Solar by 113.4% in the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 2,134 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $421,000 after purchasing an additional 1,134 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 3.5% in the first quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,608 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Brooklands Fund Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the first quarter worth about $3,635,000. Inceptionr LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the first quarter valued at approximately $537,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 72.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 59,096 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $11,655,000 after acquiring an additional 24,780 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their target price 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. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of First Solar from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Argus upped their price target 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. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on First Solar from $230.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $257.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the 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 directly owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This represents a 30.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total value of $1,191,375.45. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported second-quarter diluted EPS of $3.92, well above analyst estimates of roughly $2.74–$2.90 and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA also increased to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed its 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion and maintained expectations for third-quarter module sales of 3.9 GW to 4.5 GW and adjusted EBITDA of $625 million to $775 million. First Solar Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar ended the quarter with approximately $1.7 billion in gross and net cash and a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 GW, supporting long-term revenue visibility. First Solar Q2 Revenue and Profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue totaled $1.06 billion, essentially matching estimates but declining about 4% year over year. Full-year guidance has a midpoint of $5.05 billion, slightly below the approximately $5.1 billion analyst consensus. First Solar Misses Q2 Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Customer contract terminations reduced revenue and offset higher third-party module sales, highlighting continued execution and demand risks despite the sizable backlog. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action alleging misleading statements about tariff impacts and international production challenges. The allegations remain unresolved, but the litigation adds headline and potential financial risk. First Solar Shareholder Action Reminder

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $206.01 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $246.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.73. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $171.99 and a one year high of $320.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.99 by $0.93. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.18 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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