First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has an average consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from 29 brokerages, with 22 brokers issuing buy ratings and a price target averaging $225.84.
• The company reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, exceeding estimates of $2.68, while quarterly revenue increased by 8.6% year-over-year.
• Insider trading activity shows that CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 23,912 shares at an average price of $185.47, marking a significant reduction in his stock ownership.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-nine ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, twenty-two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $225.8424.

Several research firms have weighed in on FSLR. Glj Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $214.06 price target (up previously from $172.53) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $194.00 target price on shares of First Solar and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Solar from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Truist Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $200.00 price target (down previously from $245.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $188.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st.

First Solar Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $199.44 on Tuesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $175.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $155.33. First Solar has a one year low of $116.56 and a one year high of $262.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.39 billion, a PE ratio of 17.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.48.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.50. First Solar had a return on equity of 15.57% and a net margin of 28.95%.The business had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.25 earnings per share. First Solar's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.500-16.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that First Solar will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 23,912 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.47, for a total transaction of $4,434,958.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 87,978 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,317,279.66. The trade was a 21.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 9,557 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.05, for a total value of $1,481,812.85. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 8,037 shares in the company, valued at $1,246,136.85. This represents a 54.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 46,691 shares of company stock valued at $8,248,477 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of First Solar by 101.5% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 454,709 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $80,139,000 after purchasing an additional 229,028 shares during the period. Capital Analysts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 706 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $124,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 87.0% during the 4th quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,522 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 708 shares during the period. Decade Renewable Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 259.5% during the 4th quarter. Decade Renewable Partners LP now owns 65,421 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $11,530,000 after buying an additional 47,221 shares during the period. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 80,687 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $14,225,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.

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