First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Downgraded by Freedom Capital to Hold

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) was downgraded by stock analysts at Freedom Capital from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

FSLR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $326.00 to $271.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Evercore increased their price objective on First Solar from $240.90 to $241.00 in a research note on Friday, October 31st. DZ Bank upgraded First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Glj Research lifted their target price on First Solar from $214.06 to $314.43 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $257.91.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR stock opened at $197.20 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $241.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $235.98. First Solar has a 52-week low of $116.56 and a 52-week high of $285.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 1.60.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that First Solar will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in First Solar by 1.7% during the third quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $504,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $942,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 18.2% during 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 last quarter. FIL Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $185,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $414,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. tariffs on Indian solar manufacturers reduce potential low-cost competition for U.S. demand, which could benefit domestic suppliers like First Solar. India Tariff Article
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the post-earnings pullback as a buying opportunity — a “buy the weakness” thesis highlighting long-term project backlog and subsidy support (45X tax credits) for near-term profitability. Seeking Alpha Buy Thesis
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting First Solar’s role in clean-energy gains on the Nasdaq could support positive sentiment among sector-focused investors. Kalkine Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its price target (to $255) but kept an overweight stance — a mixed signal that reduces upside expectations while retaining conviction. Wells Fargo/PT Cut
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan also lowered price targets (Goldman to $300, JPM to $256) but maintained buy/overweight ratings, signaling confidence in medium-term fundamentals despite near-term revisions. Goldman/JPM PT Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-wide weakness in the S&P 500 and tech dragged sentiment this week, amplifying pressure on cyclical/clean-energy names including FSLR. S&P 500 Weekly
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data reported is effectively negligible/ambiguous (zero shares reported), so short squeezes are unlikely to be a driver at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued weak sales/guidance for 2026 and disappointing Q1 guidance, which triggered a sharp share decline as investors reassess revenue and backlog trajectory. Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: First Solar reported Q4 EPS below consensus despite revenue beat; margin reliance on tax credits (45X) and tapering backlog raise longer-term risk concerns. Earnings Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research downgraded FSLR from “strong-buy” to “hold,” and other outlets note gap-down trading and steep short-term losses — analyst skepticism is pressuring sentiment. Wolfe Research Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz law firm opened an investor investigation, introducing potential legal/financial risk and adding to short-term uncertainty. Investor Investigation

About First Solar

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.