KeyCorp Forecasts First Solar’s Q3 Earnings (NASDAQ:FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Stock analysts at KeyCorp reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of First Solar in a research report issued on Sunday, September 27th. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp now forecasts that the solar cell manufacturer will earn $4.59 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $4.99. The consensus estimate for First Solar’s current full-year earnings is $17.64 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for First Solar’s Q4 2026 earnings at $5.12 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $16.85 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $22.62 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $25.53 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $29.36 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also commented on FSLR. Citigroup lowered shares of First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. HSBC raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, First Solar has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.23.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $172.11 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $18.49 billion, a PE ratio of 10.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.80. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $208.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $220.36. First Solar has a 52 week low of $168.60 and a 52 week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.18 EPS.

Insider Activity

In other First Solar news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total transaction of $1,550,570.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,692,779.42. This trade represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 15,881 shares of company stock valued at $3,617,086 in the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the second quarter valued at $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP bought a new position in First Solar in the second quarter valued at about $620,133,555. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth about $392,040,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter worth about $212,626,000. Finally, Polar Capital Holdings Plc bought a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth about $200,109,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions, alleging they violated a patent covering manufacturing methods for TOPCon crystalline-silicon solar cells. A successful case could protect First Solar’s technology and competitive position, although the financial outcome and timing remain uncertain. First Solar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Piper Sandler maintained an “overweight” rating and set a $251 price target, implying substantial upside from recent levels. Separately, Zacks highlighted First Solar’s history of earnings surprises and conditions that could support another beat in the next quarterly report. Will First Solar Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high put-option activity—31,358 puts purchased, about 21% above average—signals increased hedging or bearish speculation, but options activity alone does not establish the stock’s future direction.
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar was among the stocks receiving heavy investor attention, which may increase trading interest but does not necessarily indicate improving fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp reduced its EPS estimates across 2026–2029, including its 2026 forecast to $16.85 from $17.66 and its third-quarter forecast to $4.59 from $4.99. The revisions imply softer expected profitability and likely contributed to pressure on the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Rising bond yields have pressured solar stocks by increasing financing costs and reducing the appeal of future cash flows. First Solar also underperformed while the broader market improved, reinforcing sector- and company-specific investor caution. First Solar Slides Toward Lows as Yields Squeeze Solar

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a solar technology and manufacturing company that designs and produces photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for utility-scale power projects. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), which the company says can provide advantages in energy yield, temperature performance and lifecycle sustainability.

The company’s product portfolio includes its Series 6 and Series 7 thin-film solar modules, along with related services such as technical support, module recycling and end-of-life collection.