First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Insider Sells $56,495.06 in Stock

Key Points

• Caroline Stockdale sold 262 First Solar shares on May 5 at an average of $215.63 for $56,495.06 to cover tax withholding from vested equity, but still holds 34,420 shares (a 0.76% reduction).
• First Solar beat Q1 estimates with EPS $3.22 (vs. $2.87) and $1.04B revenue—up 23.6% YoY—helping drive the stock higher to about $219 and highlighting strong margins and backlog visibility.
• Large institutional buying (e.g., Norges Bank, Viking Global, Polar Capital) accompanies a broad analyst stance: a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $246.10 (18 Buys, 13 Holds, 1 Sell).

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) insider Caroline Stockdale sold 262 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $56,495.06. Following the sale, the insider owned 34,420 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,421,984.60. This trade represents a 0.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Caroline Stockdale also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 16th, Caroline Stockdale sold 335 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total value of $67,268.00.
• On Monday, March 9th, Caroline Stockdale sold 1,041 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total value of $198,164.76.
• On Tuesday, March 3rd, Caroline Stockdale sold 1,650 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $323,284.50.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock traded up $7.82 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $219.21. 3,163,381 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,362,970. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.55 billion, a PE ratio of 14.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57. 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, Inc. has a 12-month low of $125.80 and a 12-month high of $285.99. The business's 50-day moving average is $198.46 and its 200-day moving average is $231.85.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.95 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP increased its stake in First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc purchased a new stake in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. increased its stake in First Solar by 2,663.8% in the 4th quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $174,059,000 after buying an additional 642,199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $459,917,000 after buying an additional 564,032 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat — Q1 EPS of $3.22 (up ~65%) and revenue of $1.04B topped estimates, with margins and utilization highlighted as strengths. This is a primary driver of the rally. First Solar's Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Policy optimism — a broker upgrade cites potential upside if Section 232 rulings favor U.S. module producers; investors are pricing that potential into FSLR. First Solar upgraded at Freedom Broker as Section 232 seen driving upside
• Positive Sentiment: Reaffirmed outlook & backlog — company report and market writeups note record Q1 revenue, reaffirmed FY26 guidance and a large contracted backlog (strong revenue visibility), supporting the bull case. First Solar (FSLR) Is Up 9.3% After Record Q1 Results And Reaffirmed 2026 Outlook Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds — coverage noting growing clean-energy demand and favorable sector dynamics supports sentiment toward FSLR. First Solar In Focus As Clean Energy Demand Shapes Nasdaq Composite
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target to $231 (hold) — a modest lift to upside expectations but stops short of a buy endorsement. HSBC adjusts price target on First Solar to $231 from $211, maintains hold rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore nudged its target to $219 and kept an in-line rating — effectively neutral vs. current levels. Evercore ISI adjusts price target on First Solar to $219 from $212, maintains in-line rating
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and demand risk flagged — analysis warns that policy uncertainty and possible demand slowdowns could introduce meaningful downside if tailwinds (e.g., tax credits, tariffs) don’t materialize as expected. First Solar Suffers Regulatory/Demand Uncertainty - Wait On The Sidelines First
• Negative Sentiment: Bear case remains — other commentary emphasizes persistent downside risk tied to execution, margin pressures and macro/regulatory shocks. First Solar: Still Providing Plenty Of Downside Risk

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on First Solar in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They set a "market perform" rating on the stock. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.10.

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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