Key Points
- Insider sale: Michael Koralewski sold 215 shares on May 5 at an average price of $215.63 to cover tax withholding, trimming his stake by 1.45% to 14,642 shares valued at about $3.16M, and this transaction was one of several recent modest insider sales.
- Q1 results and market reaction: First Solar beat expectations with Q1 EPS $3.22 vs. $2.87 est. and revenue $1.04B (+23.6% Y/Y), shares rose ~3.7%, and analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with an average price target of $246.10 amid mixed target adjustments.
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) insider Michael Koralewski sold 215 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $46,360.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 14,642 shares in the company, valued at $3,157,254.46. This trade represents a 1.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.
Michael Koralewski also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, March 16th, Michael Koralewski sold 264 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $53,011.20.
- On Monday, March 9th, Michael Koralewski sold 756 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.36, for a total transaction of $143,912.16.
- On Tuesday, March 3rd, Michael Koralewski sold 1,330 shares of First Solar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $260,586.90.
First Solar Stock Up 3.7%
First Solar stock opened at $219.21 on Wednesday. First Solar, Inc. has a 1-year low of $125.80 and a 1-year high of $285.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $198.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.95 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several brokerages have recently commented on FSLR. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of First Solar from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. BMO Capital Markets lowered 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 report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Solar from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 20th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $246.10.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on First Solar
Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar
Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in First Solar by 117.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company's stock.
Trending Headlines about First Solar
Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $3.22 (vs. ~$2.87 est.) and revenue +23.6% Y/Y to $1.04B; strong margins and revenue growth support upside for the shares. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Beat
- Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrade/notes emphasize policy upside (Section 232) and potential near‑term demand tailwinds, reinforcing investor optimism. Seeking Alpha: Freedom Broker Upgrade
- Neutral Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target to $231 (hold); Evercore nudged its PT to $219 (in-line). Both are incremental and largely reflect the Q1 print and policy/industry dynamics rather than sweeping analyst upgrades. MarketScreener: HSBC PT Raise
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives filed Form 4s selling modest amounts of stock on May 5 to cover tax withholding on vested awards (CEO and several senior officers among them). These were routine/tax-related sales rather than large conviction sells, but markets sometimes interpret insider selling as a mild negative. SEC filing (example - CEO): SEC Form 4 (CEO)
- Neutral Sentiment: Company posted its Q1 results materials/earnings presentation (useful for modeling but not new news beyond the beat). Earnings Presentation
- Neutral Sentiment: Sector/market writeups highlight clean‑energy demand and industrial tailwinds that can lift FSLR over time; helpful context but not immediate catalysts. Kalkine Media
- Negative Sentiment: Several analyst/commentary pieces warn of regulatory uncertainty and demand risk (cautionary views on Section 201/232 impacts and other policy/regulatory factors); these raise short‑term risk appetite for some investors. Seeking Alpha: Regulatory/Demand Concern
- Negative Sentiment: Additional bearish analysis highlights downside risk despite recent strength — keep an eye on order cadence, module ASPs and policy finalizations. Seeking Alpha: Downside Risk
First Solar Company Profile
(
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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