Zacks Research Lifts Earnings Estimates for First Solar

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its FY2025 earnings per share estimate for First Solar from $14.41 to $14.48, above the current consensus estimate of $13.05.
• Multiple research firms have increased their target prices for First Solar, with TD Cowen setting a new target of $240.00 and Bank of America raising theirs to $201.00.
• First Solar reported a quarterly EPS of $3.18, surpassing estimates, and its revenue for the quarter reached $1.10 billion, indicating a significant year-over-year growth.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research upped their FY2025 earnings per share estimates for First Solar in a report released on Monday, October 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings per share of $14.48 for the year, up from their prior estimate of $14.41. The consensus estimate for First Solar's current full-year earnings is $13.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for First Solar's Q4 2025 earnings at $5.56 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $7.98 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $5.60 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $7.49 EPS.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on FSLR. TD Cowen upped their target price on First Solar from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 12th. Bank of America boosted their price target on First Solar from $185.00 to $201.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on First Solar from $194.00 to $203.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Evercore ISI set a $240.00 target price on First Solar in a research note on Monday. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $203.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $229.52.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $229.57 on Tuesday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $202.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $169.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. First Solar has a 1 year low of $116.56 and a 1 year high of $235.87.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 28.95% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.25 EPS. First Solar has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.500-16.500 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Wealth Preservation Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 126.9% in the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 152 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 138.9% in the 2nd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 172 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In related news, CAO Nathan B. Theurer sold 686 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.03, for a total transaction of $124,872.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 23,912 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.47, for a total transaction of $4,434,958.64. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 87,978 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,317,279.66. This trade represents a 21.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 30,715 shares of company stock valued at $5,733,305 in the last ninety days. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About First Solar

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.

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