Key Points
- CAO Nathan Theurer sold 324 shares of First Solar on March 10 at an average price of $195.70 for a total of $63,406.80, disclosed via an SEC Form 4.
- First Solar reported quarterly EPS of $4.84 (missing the $5.22 consensus) while revenue of $1.68 billion beat estimates, and the stock is trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages amid a recent pullback.
- Clustered insider sales (including CEO Mark Widmar) and a Pomerantz LLP investor alert are creating negative near‑term sentiment, even as analysts collectively rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $249.65.
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) CAO Nathan Theurer sold 324 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.70, for a total value of $63,406.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.
First Solar Trading Down 0.8%
Shares of First Solar stock traded down $1.65 during trading on Thursday, reaching $198.60. 280,851 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,567,000. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.99, a P/E/G ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.65. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $230.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $236.15. First Solar, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.56 and a twelve month high of $285.99.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Key Stories Impacting First Solar
Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Barclays reiterated an Overweight rating on FSLR (keeping confidence in demand and growth) even though it trimmed its price target to $228 from $279 — this preserves analyst support for the story. Barclays coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Coverage and sector analysis continue to frame First Solar as a structural clean‑energy play (domestic manufacturing, CdTe tech, utility backlog), supporting longer‑term demand expectations. MarketBeat megatrends article
- Neutral Sentiment: The stock showed a modest uptick in the latest session (context: market movement can cause short‑term swings), but that does not yet reverse the recent multi‑month pullback. Yahoo: FSLR rises
- Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance: several clean‑energy and energy peers have outperformed FSLR year‑to‑date, which may shift sector allocation flows even if company fundamentals remain intact. Barchart comparison
- Negative Sentiment: Large, clustered insider sales on March 9 (including CEO Mark Widmar and several senior execs) are being viewed negatively by the market — a concentrated round of monetizations can amplify downside sentiment even if sales are part of planned diversification. 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 raises uncertainty and is typically a near‑term headwind. GlobeNewswire / Pomerantz alert
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and technical signals: recent articles flag the share pullback and note FSLR is trading below its 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages, a factor that can pressure sentiment and trigger technical selling. Yahoo: assessing valuation
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research analysts recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Glj Research downgraded shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the company from $314.43 to $207.82 in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $303.00 to $256.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $249.65.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on First Solar
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Green Ridge Wealth Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $234,000. Mengis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in First Solar by 26.1% during the fourth quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,243 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock worth $1,892,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth about $2,952,000. Employees Provident Fund Board bought a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth about $25,531,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at about $107,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.
About First Solar
(
Get Free Report)
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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