Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Sells 498 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• CFO Alexander Bradley sold 498 shares on May 5 at an average price of $215.63 for about $107,384 to cover tax withholding from vested equity, leaving him with 30,712 shares (a 1.6% reduction).
• Q1 results beat expectations — EPS $3.22 vs. $2.87 consensus and revenue $1.04B (up 23.6% YoY) — helping lift the stock to roughly $219.21 intraday.
• The stock has a Moderate Buy consensus target of $246.10 amid mixed analyst ratings and heavy institutional ownership (~92%), with recent large purchases by Norges Bank, Viking Global and others.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) CFO Alexander Bradley sold 498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $107,383.74. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 30,712 shares in the company, valued at $6,622,428.56. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR traded up $7.82 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $219.21. 3,163,381 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,362,970. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $125.80 and a 1-year high of $285.99. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $198.46 and a 200-day moving average of $231.85. The stock has a market cap of $23.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.95 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Wolfe Research downgraded First Solar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. DZ Bank raised shares of First Solar to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $246.10.

First Solar News Roundup

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $375,122,000 after buying an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 38.6% during 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 during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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