The Goldman Sachs Group Issues Positive Forecast for First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Price

Key Points

• Goldman Sachs raised its First Solar price target to $310 (from $300), implying roughly a 46% upside from the recent share price.
• First Solar reported a strong Q1 beat — $3.22 EPS vs. $2.87 expected and $1.04B revenue (+23.6%) — and management reaffirmed FY2026 guidance (net sales $4.9–$5.2B, adjusted EBITDA $2.6–$2.8B) with 1.9 GW of gross bookings.
• Analyst and institutional signals are mixed (consensus target ≈ $245.47; rating = "Moderate Buy"), and notable insider selling plus trade/tariff and policy risks could limit conviction despite the upbeat results.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The Goldman Sachs Group's price objective points to a potential upside of 46.43% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on FSLR. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, January 12th. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Susquehanna cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of First Solar to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $245.47.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $211.71 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $22.75 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.57. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $198.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $231.76. First Solar has a one year low of $122.47 and a one year high of $285.99. 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.44%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.95 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that First Solar will post 17.41 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 335 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $67,268.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 34,060 shares in the company, valued at $6,839,248. This represents a 0.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 14,106 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total transaction of $2,820,776.82. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 30,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,999,100. This trade represents a 31.98% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 76,562 shares of company stock worth $15,042,232 over the last 90 days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Joule Financial LLC acquired a new stake in First Solar in the third quarter valued at $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of 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 worth $17,015,000 after acquiring an additional 13,904 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter worth about $1,193,000. Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in First Solar by 70.2% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 3.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $3,026,108,000 after purchasing an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key First Solar News

Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and margins beat expectations: First Solar reported $3.22 GAAP EPS vs. consensus ~$2.87 and record quarterly revenue (~$1.04B), with notable margin expansion that improves near‑term earnings visibility. Company Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance reaffirmed: Management reconfirmed FY2026 net sales ($4.9B–$5.2B) and adjusted EBITDA ($2.6B–$2.8B), removing some uncertainty around full‑year expectations and supporting valuation models. Quiver Quant Article
• Positive Sentiment: Strong bookings and demand mix: Management highlighted gross bookings (1.9 GW) and growth in key markets (India and U.S. utility scale), signaling continued sales momentum. Earnings Transcript (The Motley Fool)
• Positive Sentiment: Secular demand thesis reinforced by management: CEO Mark Widmar discussed rising power demand (including AI data centers) and U.S. manufacturing scale on TV, underscoring long‑term growth drivers. CEO Interview (YouTube)
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance nuance — midpoint slightly below some sell‑side estimates: while guidance was reaffirmed, the midpoint was reported modestly under some analyst models, which could temper upside expectations. Yahoo Finance Recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and institutional positioning mixed: median price target sits well above current levels but firms have recently trimmed or raised targets unevenly; institutional flows show major rebalances. These mixed signals can limit conviction. Quiver Quant — analyst & institutional data
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling: recent disclosures show numerous insider sales (no purchases) over the past six months, which some investors view as a governance or timing concern. Quiver Quant — insider trading
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing trade/tariff and policy risk: multiple reports note management is navigating tariff and regulatory uncertainty; this remains a tail risk that could widen volatility despite the beat. MSN — Tariffs Article

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.