Markus Gloeckler Sells 420 Shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock

Key Points

• Markus Gloeckler, First Solar's CTO, sold 420 shares on May 5 at an average price of $215.63 for $90,564.60 to cover tax withholding related to vested awards, leaving him with 10,896 shares (a 3.71% decline) and continuing a string of insider sales earlier in March.
• First Solar reported strong Q1 results—EPS $3.22 (vs. $2.87 est.) and revenue $1.04B (up 23.6%)—and reaffirmed FY26 guidance with a large contracted backlog, fueling a stock rally, though several analysts have trimmed targets and flagged regulatory and demand risks amid a consensus "Moderate Buy" price target of $246.10.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 420 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $90,564.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 10,896 shares in the company, valued at $2,349,504.48. This represents a 3.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Markus Gloeckler also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 16th, Markus Gloeckler sold 368 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total value of $73,894.40.
• On Monday, March 9th, Markus Gloeckler sold 1,325 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total value of $252,227.00.
• On Wednesday, March 4th, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,640 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total value of $716,898.00.
• On Tuesday, March 3rd, Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,060.25.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ FSLR traded up $7.82 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $219.21. The stock had a trading volume of 3,163,381 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,362,970. The firm's 50 day moving average is $198.46 and its 200 day moving average is $231.85. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $125.80 and a twelve month high of $285.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on FSLR. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho lowered their price objective on First Solar from $271.00 to $243.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Wolfe Research lowered First Solar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on First Solar from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.10.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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 Trading of First Solar

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $942,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. FIL Ltd grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $185,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company's stock.

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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