First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Has Average Price Target of $266.53 According to Brokerages

Shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-seven brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $266.23.

Several research firms have commented on FSLR. Evercore restated a “positive” rating and issued a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, August 17th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. HSBC upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Truist Financial reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $229.00 price target (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st.

First Solar Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $174.61 on Wednesday. First Solar has a 52 week low of $168.60 and a 52 week high of $320.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $207.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $220.04. The company has a market capitalization of $18.76 billion, a PE ratio of 10.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.80.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 17.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total value of $139,200.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 5,042 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $877,308. This represents a 13.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 in the last ninety days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Doliver Advisors LP boosted its position in First Solar by 11.3% during the 3rd quarter. Doliver Advisors LP now owns 4,271 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 435 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in First Solar by 5.7% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,017 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,892,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Andra AP fonden grew its position in shares of First Solar by 25.1% during the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 97,856 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $23,090,000 after purchasing an additional 19,607 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 100.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $14,575,000 after acquiring an additional 30,967 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter worth $232,000. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Patent lawsuit could protect technology and pricing: First Solar sued JA Solar and American Panel Solutions, reportedly a Corning subsidiary, alleging infringement of its U.S. patent covering manufacturing methods for TOPCon solar cells. Successful enforcement could help protect First Solar’s intellectual property and competitive position. First Solar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against JA Solar and American Panel Solutions
• Positive Sentiment: Potential earnings support: First Solar has a history of exceeding earnings expectations. Analysts are watching the upcoming report for evidence that strong execution and the company’s relatively low valuation can offset industry headwinds. Will First Solar Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher put-option activity signals caution: Traders purchased 31,358 put options, about 21% above average volume. This indicates increased hedging or bearish speculation ahead of earnings, but it does not necessarily represent a change in the company’s fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: Inventory and policy pressures remain significant: Elevated U.S. solar-panel inventories, slower utility-scale project starts, tight pricing, and a new 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives are complicating supply-chain planning and could pressure margins or near-term demand. How Investors Are Reacting to First Solar Inventory Glut, New Tariffs and Slower Project Starts
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target reduction adds pressure: Piper Sandler cut its price target for First Solar, reinforcing concerns about near-term industry conditions and the stock’s substantial decline from its 12-month high. First Solar Stock Price Target Cut by Piper Sandler

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.