First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Rating Upgraded by Truist Financial

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) was upgraded by stock analysts at Truist Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $270.00 price target on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, up from their prior price target of $229.00. Truist Financial’s price target points to a potential upside of 44.69% from the company’s current price.

Several other research firms have also commented on FSLR. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. HC Wainwright initiated coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st. HSBC upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.33.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR stock opened at $186.60 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $20.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.80. First Solar has a 1 year low of $168.60 and a 1 year high of $320.95. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $202.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.42.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%. First Solar’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.18 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that First Solar will post 17.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last three months, insiders have sold 16,681 shares of company stock worth $3,756,286. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Courier Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 102.1% in the third quarter. Courier Capital LLC now owns 23,602 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $4,134,000 after purchasing an additional 11,926 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.5% in the third quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,907 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $684,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 21.5% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 27,110 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $4,749,000 after purchasing an additional 4,802 shares in the last quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the third quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Cox Capital Mgt LLC increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 0.4% in the third quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC now owns 13,989 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Truist upgraded First Solar from Hold to Buy and raised its price target to $270 from $229. Analyst Christopher Souther cited stronger expected U.S. module pricing, raising his 2029 average selling-price estimate by 17%, with an improved pricing backdrop potentially extending into the 2030s. This Analyst Just Upgraded First Solar Stock. Here’s Why.
• Positive Sentiment: A Section 232 trade decision is expected to establish a floor under imported panel prices beginning in December. That could reduce low-priced import competition and support First Solar’s domestic manufacturing advantage and margins. First Solar Climbs as Truist Buy Call and Tariff Floor Reset Panel Pricing Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity was unusually bullish: traders purchased 48,646 call options, about 97% above typical call volume. This signals increased speculative interest, although it does not guarantee future gains.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are looking ahead to First Solar’s upcoming third-quarter earnings report. Analysts expect high-single-digit year-over-year earnings growth, making results, guidance and commentary on pricing key near-term catalysts. Earnings Preview: What to Expect From First Solar’s Report
• Negative Sentiment: Morningstar reduced its estimated value to $191, warning that the expiration of tax benefits and intense competition could offset rising electricity demand from artificial-intelligence data centers. The report highlights continued policy and profitability risks. FSLR Stock Slips Overnight: AI Power Demand Opportunity Faces Tax Credit Test

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.