Brokerages Set First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Target Price at $245.47

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-two ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $246.1044.

FSLR has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $271.00 to $243.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Freedom Capital lowered shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th.

First Solar Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $219.21 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $198.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $231.67. The firm has a market cap of $23.55 billion, a PE ratio of 14.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57. First Solar has a 12-month low of $125.80 and a 12-month high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share (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 18.01%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.95 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 17.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $3.22 (vs. ~$2.87 est.) and revenue +23.6% Y/Y to $1.04B; strong margins and revenue growth support upside for the shares. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrade/notes emphasize policy upside (Section 232) and potential near‑term demand tailwinds, reinforcing investor optimism. Seeking Alpha: Freedom Broker Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target to $231 (hold); Evercore nudged its PT to $219 (in-line). Both are incremental and largely reflect the Q1 print and policy/industry dynamics rather than sweeping analyst upgrades. MarketScreener: HSBC PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives filed Form 4s selling modest amounts of stock on May 5 to cover tax withholding on vested awards (CEO and several senior officers among them). These were routine/tax-related sales rather than large conviction sells, but markets sometimes interpret insider selling as a mild negative. SEC filing (example – CEO): SEC Form 4 (CEO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company posted its Q1 results materials/earnings presentation (useful for modeling but not new news beyond the beat). Earnings Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/market writeups highlight clean‑energy demand and industrial tailwinds that can lift FSLR over time; helpful context but not immediate catalysts. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyst/commentary pieces warn of regulatory uncertainty and demand risk (cautionary views on Section 201/232 impacts and other policy/regulatory factors); these raise short‑term risk appetite for some investors. Seeking Alpha: Regulatory/Demand Concern
• Negative Sentiment: Additional bearish analysis highlights downside risk despite recent strength — keep an eye on order cadence, module ASPs and policy finalizations. Seeking Alpha: Downside Risk

Insider Activity

In other First Solar news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 498 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $107,383.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 30,712 shares in the company, valued at $6,622,428.56. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Georges Antoun sold 566 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $122,046.58. Following the sale, the insider owned 19,918 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,294,918.34. The trade was a 2.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 81,204 shares of company stock valued at $16,043,186 over the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP grew its position in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new position in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% during the fourth quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $174,059,000 after acquiring an additional 642,199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of First Solar by 38.6% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $459,917,000 after acquiring an additional 564,032 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

About First Solar

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.