First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Shares gapped up: FSLR opened at $211.00 after a $200.61 close and last traded near $198.78 on volume of about 660,737 shares.
• Analyst backdrop: The consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $246.13 price target, but several firms recently cut targets and one downgraded the stock, signaling mixed near‑term sentiment.
• Fundamentals and insider activity: First Solar reported a quarterly EPS miss ($4.84 vs. $5.22 est.) but revenue beat ($1.68B), while insiders sold ~75,989 shares (~$14.9M) over the past three months.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $200.61, but opened at $211.00. First Solar shares last traded at $198.7810, with a volume of 660,737 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Evercore cut their price target on First Solar from $241.00 to $212.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on First Solar from $263.00 to $252.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Glj Research downgraded First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $314.43 to $207.82 in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on First Solar from $316.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Argus cut their price target on First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.13.

First Solar Price Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $206.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $234.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.97, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. First Solar's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,640 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total transaction of $716,898.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 8,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,582,887.15. This represents a 31.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $1,516,106.34. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 91,787 shares in the company, valued at $17,983,826.91. The trade was a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 75,989 shares of company stock worth $14,921,902. Insiders own 0.39% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Joule Financial LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in First Solar by 22.0% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,155 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $17,015,000 after acquiring an additional 13,904 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $1,193,000. Greenup Street Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $2,147,000. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. raised its holdings in First Solar by 70.2% during the third quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 150,379 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $33,163,000 after acquiring an additional 62,048 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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