First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• First Solar has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 34 brokerages, with an average 12-month price target of about $256.41.
• Several firms recently adjusted their views on the stock, including Susquehanna raising its target to $270 and Barclays boosting its target to $279, while some analysts still maintain hold or underperform ratings.
• The company faces some caution from investors due to recent insider selling and multiple class action lawsuits, but it also has a near-term catalyst with second-quarter earnings scheduled for July 30.

Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the thirty-four brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, nineteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $256.4076.

A number of research firms have issued reports on FSLR. Susquehanna increased their price objective on First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of First Solar from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. HSBC lifted their price target on shares of First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Barclays upped 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.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,750. This represents a 10.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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 that occurred on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This trade represents a 5.13% 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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in First Solar by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $761,396,000 after purchasing an additional 24,206 shares during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its stake in First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in First Solar by 9.4% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $578,791,000 after buying an additional 189,626 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth about $392,040,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,427,105 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $372,803,000 after buying an additional 100,908 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst and valuation commentary still points to upside potential, with some estimates implying the stock may be trading below intrinsic value and price targets remaining well above current levels. First Solar (FSLR) Stock Sees Modest Fair Value Lift As Analysts Weigh Tariffs And Tax Credits
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar confirmed it will release second-quarter results on July 30, giving investors a near-term catalyst for updates on demand, margins, and guidance. First Solar, Inc. to Announce Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results on July 30, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary says the pullback could simply reflect profit-taking after recent strength and renewed attention on the stock’s longer-term valuation. Is First Solar (FSLR) Reasonable After Tariff Hopes And A 31% Gap?
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple class action lawsuits were filed against First Solar, increasing legal risk and keeping pressure on sentiment around tariff and production disclosures. Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against First Solar, Inc. and Certain Officers - FSLR
• Negative Sentiment: Investor notices and legal reminders suggest the securities case is still fresh, with a lead plaintiff deadline of August 24 and allegations tied to tariff-related harm. SueWallSt Reminds First Solar, Inc. Investors of the Pending Class Action Lawsuit With a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of August 24, 2026 - FSLR
• Negative Sentiment: Quiver’s market read says traders are weighing the legal overhang and awaiting results, with insider selling and mixed institutional positioning adding to caution. First Solar Slides as Traders Weigh Legal Overhang and Await Late-July Results

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $211.93 on Friday. First Solar has a fifty-two week low of $167.60 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $251.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $229.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. The stock has a market cap of $22.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.69, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.73.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The business's revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.95 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that First Solar will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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