Patrick James Buehler Sells 235 Shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock

Key Points

• Insider Patrick James Buehler sold 235 shares of First Solar on May 5 at an average price of $215.63 for $50,673, reducing his stake to 7,406 shares (a 3.08% decrease); the sale was disclosed to the SEC and was made to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards.
• Buehler also sold 2,238 shares across three transactions in March, signaling a pattern of recent insider selling tied to equity vesting.
• Q1 earnings beat: First Solar reported EPS of $3.22 vs. $2.87 expected and revenue of $1.04B (up 23.6%), reaffirmed FY26 guidance and a large backlog, helping lift the stock to about $219 and leaving a MarketBeat consensus of a Moderate Buy with a $246.10 price target.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) insider Patrick James Buehler sold 235 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $50,673.05. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,596,955.78. This trade represents a 3.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Patrick James Buehler also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 16th, Patrick James Buehler sold 180 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $36,144.00.
• On Monday, March 9th, Patrick James Buehler sold 697 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $132,680.92.
• On Tuesday, March 3rd, Patrick James Buehler sold 1,361 shares of First Solar stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $266,660.73.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR traded up $7.82 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $219.21. 3,163,381 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,362,970. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $125.80 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57. The business's 50 day moving average is $198.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $231.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

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 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 business 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 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Freedom Capital cut First Solar from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $246.10.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in First Solar by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $3,026,108,000 after purchasing an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $761,396,000 after purchasing an additional 24,206 shares in the last quarter. 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 valued at $375,122,000 after purchasing an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in First Solar by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $578,791,000 after purchasing an additional 189,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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

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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