First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Has Average Price Target of $265.73 According to Brokerages

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-seven analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation, twenty-three have given a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $266.30.

A number of equities research analysts have commented on FSLR shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on First Solar from $323.00 to $326.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of First Solar from $318.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Mizuho set a $324.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of First Solar from $310.00 to $272.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 8th.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $175.85 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $191.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $217.17. First Solar has a twelve month low of $165.86 and a twelve month high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.18 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that First Solar will post 17.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at First Solar

In other news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total value of $1,550,570.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at $1,692,779.42. This represents a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing 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, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $1,402,513.12. This trade represents a 39.68% 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. In the last quarter, insiders sold 16,681 shares of company stock worth $3,756,286. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. North Dakota State Investment Board increased its stake in First Solar by 3.2% in the third quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board now owns 3,115 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $546,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 3,903.0% in the third quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 3,963 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $694,000 after acquiring an additional 3,864 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 1.3% during the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 54,216 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $9,496,000 after acquiring an additional 691 shares during the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 43.7% during the third quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,043 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $533,000 after acquiring an additional 926 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 11.3% during the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,828 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $671,000 after acquiring an additional 389 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors appear to be buying FSLR ahead of its scheduled October 29 third-quarter results. Strong solar demand and generally favorable analyst sentiment, including price targets well above the current trading level, are supporting expectations. First Solar jumps as lower Treasury yields and earnings anticipation appear to support solar names
• Positive Sentiment: Lower Treasury yields have improved the environment for rate-sensitive, capital-intensive clean-energy companies. First Solar’s stated expectation of approximately 25 gigawatts of global annual nameplate capacity in 2026 also reinforces its scale and growth narrative. First Solar market analysis
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar will inaugurate the first phase of its new Gaffney, South Carolina, production facility on October 28. The event, expected to include senior state and federal officials, highlights the company’s U.S. manufacturing expansion and could strengthen its position amid domestic-content and supply-chain priorities. First Solar to Inaugurate First Phase of South Carolina Production Facility
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning was mixed: 494 investors added FSLR shares in their latest reported quarter while 458 reduced positions, suggesting continued conviction but also disagreement over the outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Trade-policy uncertainty and underutilized overseas facilities could weigh on third-quarter results and margins, creating downside risk if management issues cautious guidance. First Solar to Release Q3 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity was entirely selling over the past six months, including sales by Chief Executive Officer Mark Widmar. Separately, put-option volume was unusually elevated, indicating some traders are hedging against or positioning for a decline.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.