California State Teachers Retirement System Cuts Stock Holdings in First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

California State Teachers Retirement System reduced its stake in shares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 1.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 155,621 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after selling 2,740 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in First Solar were worth $30,698,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in First Solar by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 409 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $88,192.67. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 10,409 shares in the company, valued at $2,244,492.67. The trade was a 3.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total transaction of $1,191,375.45. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. The trade was a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Trading Up 2.4%

FSLR opened at $211.03 on Friday. First Solar, Inc. has a one year low of $171.99 and a one year high of $320.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.56 and a quick ratio of 2.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $245.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $225.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.73.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.42% and a net margin of 32.47%.The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.18 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 EPS for the current year.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Profit and margins exceeded expectations. First Solar reported second-quarter EPS of $3.92, well above the $2.99 analyst consensus and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Gross margin expanded to approximately 57%, while adjusted EBITDA rose to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar’s Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Decrease Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong long-term demand visibility supported the bullish reaction. Management highlighted a record backlog, 45.1 gigawatts of contracted sales at quarter-end, domestic manufacturing expansion, technology investments and policy-driven opportunities extending through 2030. The company also cited a cumulative production milestone above 100 GW. FSLR Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Domestic Solar Push
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts maintained bullish ratings. Goldman Sachs reiterated a Buy rating with a $310 price target, while Needham maintained Buy with a $303 target, citing attractive valuation, demand momentum and potential support from Section 232 tariffs. First Solar: Strong Q2 Beat and Solid Demand Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year guidance was reaffirmed. First Solar maintained 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion, broadly in line with expectations. However, the midpoint is slightly below consensus, limiting the upside from the earnings beat. First Solar Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined year over year. Sales fell about 4% to $1.06 billion, primarily because customer contract cancellations offset higher third-party module sales. The company is also navigating Section 232 tariff uncertainty and rising input costs. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Securities litigation remains an overhang. Multiple law firms publicized a shareholder class action concerning alleged misrepresentations about tariffs and production challenges, with an August 24, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline. These notices may pressure sentiment, although they do not represent a court finding of wrongdoing. Kaplan Fox First Solar Shareholder Notice

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on FSLR. Zacks Research upgraded First Solar from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Truist Financial restated a “hold” rating and issued a $229.00 target price (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of First Solar from $230.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $252.86.

First Solar Profile

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.