Key Points
- CAO Nathan Theurer sold 157 shares on March 9 at an average price of $190.36 for $29,886, reducing his holdings by 32.64% to 324 shares, according to the SEC filing.
- Multiple senior executives also sold shares that day—most notably CEO Mark Widmar (5,537 shares, ≈$1.05M)—a breadth of insider sales that may be perceived negatively by investors.
- First Solar reported Q4 EPS of $4.84 versus $5.22 expected (a miss) but revenue of $1.68B topped estimates; the stock trades around $197.80 below its 50‑ and 200‑day averages and faces added near‑term uncertainty from a Pomerantz LLP investor investigation.
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) CAO Nathan Theurer sold 157 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $29,886.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 324 shares of the company's stock, valued at $61,676.64. This trade represents a 32.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.
First Solar Trading Up 1.2%
Shares of First Solar stock opened at $197.80 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.23 billion, a PE ratio of 13.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm's 50 day moving average is $231.30 and its 200 day moving average is $236.41. First Solar, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.56 and a 1 year high of $285.99.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. First Solar's revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Trading of First Solar
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in First Solar by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $942,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 18.2% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. FIL Ltd increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $185,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 2.6% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Headlines Impacting First Solar
Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating (keeps confidence in demand and growth outlook) though it trimmed its price target to $228 from $279 — the call provides analyst support for the stock. Barclays coverage
- Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat/other coverage highlights First Solar as a durable clean‑energy/megatrend play (domestic manufacturing, CdTe tech, large utility backlog) — a reminder of structural demand that supports longer‑term upside. MarketBeat megatrends article
- Neutral Sentiment: News commentary notes FSLR has underperformed some energy peers so far in 2026; this is market context rather than company‑specific news and may influence sentiment but not fundamentals. 24/7 Wall St. piece
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold shares on March 9, including CEO Mark Widmar (5,537 shares, ~$1.05M at ~$190.36). The breadth of sales by senior executives (CFO, CTO, GC, EVP, CAO and others) can be perceived negatively by investors as reduced insider exposure or opportunistic monetization; see CEO filing for details. SEC Form 4 (CEO Widmar)
- Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP issued an investor alert saying it is investigating claims on behalf of First Solar investors — potential litigation or regulatory scrutiny increases uncertainty and is typically viewed as a near‑term headwind. GlobeNewswire / Pomerantz alert
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho cut their price objective on First Solar from $326.00 to $271.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim increased their target price on First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. HSBC reissued a "hold" rating and set a $211.00 price target (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on First Solar from $316.00 to $300.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.65.
Read Our Latest Report on First Solar
About First Solar
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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.
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