First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Rated “Strong-Buy” in New Coverage at BNP Paribas Exane

Research analysts at BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) in a research note issued on Friday, Zacks reports. The firm set a “strong-buy” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on FSLR. Weiss Ratings downgraded First Solar from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $279.00 to $259.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.62.

First Solar Trading Down 1.4%

First Solar stock opened at $174.40 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.80. First Solar has a twelve month low of $165.86 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $188.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $216.19.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.67 by $0.63. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 37.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.24 earnings per share. First Solar’s revenue was down 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that First Solar will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% 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, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.95, for a total value of $749,903.75. Following the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 7,471 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,635,775.45. This represents a 31.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $362,396,000 after purchasing an additional 100,694 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,305,471 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $257,441,000 after purchasing an additional 56,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth about $212,626,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.30 per share, beating estimates by roughly 14%, while net income increased 25% year over year. Strong margins and a reported $13.5 billion backlog provide support for longer-term earnings visibility. First Solar Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share-repurchase program, which could support per-share results and signal management’s confidence in long-term cash generation. First Solar Posts Strong Q3 Results and Launches Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar signed a U.S. patent licensing agreement with CubicPV covering perovskite technology, potentially advancing its next-generation solar-product development. The company also inaugurated the first phase of its South Carolina facility, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity. First Solar and CubicPV Enter U.S. Patent Licensing Agreement

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.