First Solar (FSLR) Competitors

Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) and First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) are both energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, media sentiment, institutional ownership and risk.

Which has more volatility and risk, CSIQ or FSLR?

Canadian Solar has a beta of 1.35, suggesting that its stock price is 35% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Solar has a beta of 1.48, suggesting that its stock price is 48% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Does the media favor CSIQ or FSLR?

In the previous week, First Solar had 31 more articles in the media than Canadian Solar. MarketBeat recorded 35 mentions for First Solar and 4 mentions for Canadian Solar. Canadian Solar's average media sentiment score of 1.14 beat First Solar's score of 1.09 indicating that Canadian Solar is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Canadian Solar	2 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
First Solar	22 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts prefer CSIQ or FSLR?

Canadian Solar currently has a consensus target price of $14.39, suggesting a potential upside of 23.23%. First Solar has a consensus target price of $222.44, suggesting a potential upside of 23.54%. Given First Solar's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe First Solar is more favorable than Canadian Solar.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Canadian Solar	1 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.38
First Solar	1 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	22 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86

Is CSIQ or FSLR more profitable?

First Solar has a net margin of 28.95% compared to Canadian Solar's net margin of -0.18%. First Solar's return on equity of 15.57% beat Canadian Solar's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Canadian Solar	-0.18%	-4.34%	-1.27%
First Solar	28.95%	15.57%	10.36%

Do insiders & institutionals hold more shares of CSIQ or FSLR?

52.4% of Canadian Solar shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.1% of First Solar shares are owned by institutional investors. 21.5% of Canadian Solar shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of First Solar shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Which has better valuation and earnings, CSIQ or FSLR?

First Solar has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Canadian Solar. Canadian Solar is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Solar, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Canadian Solar	$5.99B	0.13	$36.05M	-$0.50	-23.36
First Solar	$4.21B	4.59	$1.29B	$11.69	15.40

Summary

First Solar beats Canadian Solar on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.