8,143 Shares in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR Acquired by Trust Co. of Vermont

Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 8,143 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,921,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP raised 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 purchasing an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth $200,109,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter worth $164,962,000. Finally, Amundi grew its position in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $459,917,000 after purchasing an additional 564,032 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FSLR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $229.00 price objective (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of First Solar from $279.00 to $282.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $245.00 to $272.00 in a report on Monday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $261.75.

First Solar Stock Down 3.4%

FSLR opened at $217.85 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $23.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.43, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.76. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $182.99 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $232.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $224.63.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.18 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar’s latest results remain a fundamental support: the company reported quarterly earnings of $3.92 per share versus the $2.90 analyst consensus, reaffirmed its 2026 outlook and cited a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 gigawatts through 2030. Revenue was approximately $1.06 billion. First Solar Slides as Investors Weigh Tariff Uncertainty and Recent Policy Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed in the latest quarter: 488 investors added FSLR shares, while 610 reduced their holdings. Several large funds, including Capital World Investors, D. E. Shaw and JPMorgan, reported sizable additions, partly offset by reductions from other managers.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized an existing securities class-action lawsuit and the August 24 lead-plaintiff deadline. The suit reportedly concerns alleged misrepresentations about tariffs, guidance and production-facility utilization; the allegations have not been proven, but the repeated notices increase reputational and litigation overhang. FSLR Class Action Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned about U.S. solar trade policy. A new 15% duty on polysilicon derivatives and a minimum import-price framework could benefit domestic manufacturers over time, but may also disrupt demand, pricing and customer purchasing decisions. First Solar’s own 2026 outlook continues to include a net tariff-related impact. Tariff Uncertainty and Recent Policy Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option volume rose about 77% above its typical level, signaling increased demand for downside protection or bearish speculation. In addition, reported insider activity showed sales but no open-market purchases over the past six months, another factor that may weigh on confidence.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total transaction of $1,191,375.45. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 30,979 shares of company stock worth $7,694,724 in the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.