Zacks Research Comments on First Solar, Inc.'s Q4 2024 Earnings (NASDAQ:FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) - Zacks Research raised their Q4 2024 EPS estimates for shares of First Solar in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, April 10th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now forecasts that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings per share of $4.34 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $4.33. The consensus estimate for First Solar's current full-year earnings is $13.53 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for First Solar's Q1 2025 earnings at $3.61 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $19.18 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $5.48 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $28.54 EPS.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on FSLR. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $195.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $188.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of First Solar from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $215.00 to $187.00 in a report on Monday, January 8th. Janney Montgomery Scott assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. They set a "buy" rating and a $236.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $187.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $227.96.

First Solar Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR traded down $1.96 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $182.48. 1,912,487 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,076,032. The stock has a market cap of $19.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.58, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.41. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $158.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $155.64. First Solar has a 1-year low of $129.21 and a 1-year high of $232.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 3.55 and a quick ratio of 2.92.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.19 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.31 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 25.03% and a return on equity of 13.80%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 15.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.07) earnings per share.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Managment Co. bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. First Pacific Financial bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Estabrook Capital Management bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Headinvest LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.34, for a total value of $37,085.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,170 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $766,917.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.34, for a total transaction of $37,085.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 5,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $766,917.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director R Craig Kennedy sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.76, for a total transaction of $236,640.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 15,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,467,524.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 26,620 shares of company stock valued at $4,269,540. Corporate insiders own 0.58% of the company's stock.

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.