Royal Bank of Canada Sells 237,768 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Royal Bank of Canada lessened its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 52.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 212,567 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 237,768 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada’s holdings in First Solar were worth $41,930,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in First Solar by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $211.03 on Monday. First Solar, Inc. has a 52 week low of $171.99 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The company has a market capitalization of $22.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.76. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $245.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.14.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.18 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.53 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FSLR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Freedom Capital upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Argus upped their price objective on First Solar from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $252.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 9,926 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.21, for a total value of $2,314,842.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 95,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,189,465.08. This represents a 9.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 498 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $107,383.74. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,712 shares in the company, valued at $6,622,428.56. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Profit and margins exceeded expectations. First Solar reported second-quarter EPS of $3.92, well above the $2.99 analyst consensus and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Gross margin expanded to approximately 57%, while adjusted EBITDA rose to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar’s Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Decrease Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong long-term demand visibility supported the bullish reaction. Management highlighted a record backlog, 45.1 gigawatts of contracted sales at quarter-end, domestic manufacturing expansion, technology investments and policy-driven opportunities extending through 2030. The company also cited a cumulative production milestone above 100 GW. FSLR Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Domestic Solar Push
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintained bullish ratings. Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating with a $310 price target, while Needham maintained Buy with a $303 target, citing attractive valuation, demand momentum and potential support from Section 232 tariffs. First Solar: Strong Q2 Beat and Solid Demand Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year guidance was reaffirmed. First Solar maintained 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion, broadly in line with expectations. However, the midpoint is slightly below consensus, limiting the upside from the earnings beat. First Solar Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined year over year. Sales fell about 4% to $1.06 billion, primarily because customer contract cancellations offset higher third-party module sales. The company is also navigating Section 232 tariff uncertainty and rising input costs. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Securities litigation remains an overhang. Multiple law firms publicized a shareholder class action concerning alleged misrepresentations about tariffs and production challenges, with an August 24, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline. These notices may pressure sentiment, although they do not represent a court finding of wrongdoing. Kaplan Fox First Solar Shareholder Notice

First Solar 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.