First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $1.02 EPS

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The business’s revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.18 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from First Solar’s conference call:

• Record quarterly performance: First Solar reported more than $1 billion in Q2 sales, approximately 57% gross margin, $423 million in net income, and $644 million in adjusted EBITDA, while cumulative module sales surpassed 100 gigawatts.
• Contracted backlog stood at 45.1 gigawatts worth $13.6 billion, with deliveries extending through 2030; the company also added approximately 1.9 gigawatts of U.S. bookings at about $0.36 per watt and cited strong demand from hyperscaler-related projects.
• First Solar reaffirmed its full-year 2026 guidance and said its South Carolina finishing facility remains on track to begin production in the second half of 2026. CuRe technology is outperforming expectations, with its broader deployment expected to support efficiency, customer value, and margins.
• Trade-policy uncertainty remains a key risk. The company is awaiting decisions on the Section 232 polysilicon and derivatives investigation, FEOC rules, and other tariffs before determining the long-term use of approximately 1.8 gigawatts of Southeast Asian capacity, which is currently generating about $30 million per quarter in underutilization costs.
• First Solar continues to face elevated input and logistics costs, including domestic freight that can approach international shipping economics; management described the commodity-cost environment as challenging despite ongoing efforts to improve throughput, automation, and product efficiency.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FSLR traded up $6.77 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $206.01. 2,394,748 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,698,135. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.73. First Solar has a 1-year low of $171.99 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The company has a 50-day moving average of $246.02 and a 200 day moving average of $225.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 409 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $88,192.67. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 10,628 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.60, for a total transaction of $2,929,076.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 23,792 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,557,075.20. This trade represents a 30.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 31,893 shares of company stock valued at $7,893,775. Corporate insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FSLR. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,190 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $311,000 after buying an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in First Solar by 28.2% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 18,609 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $4,861,000 after acquiring an additional 4,096 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in First Solar by 17.9% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 25,522 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $6,667,000 after acquiring an additional 3,866 shares during the period. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $785,000. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $411,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on FSLR. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $249.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of First Solar from $213.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on First Solar from $269.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $257.10.

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar reported second-quarter diluted EPS of $3.92, well above analyst estimates of roughly $2.74–$2.90 and up from $3.18 a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA also increased to $644 million from $560 million. First Solar Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed its 2026 net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion and maintained expectations for third-quarter module sales of 3.9 GW to 4.5 GW and adjusted EBITDA of $625 million to $775 million. First Solar Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar ended the quarter with approximately $1.7 billion in gross and net cash and a contracted sales backlog of 45.1 GW, supporting long-term revenue visibility. First Solar Q2 Revenue and Profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly revenue totaled $1.06 billion, essentially matching estimates but declining about 4% year over year. Full-year guidance has a midpoint of $5.05 billion, slightly below the approximately $5.1 billion analyst consensus. First Solar Misses Q2 Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Customer contract terminations reduced revenue and offset higher third-party module sales, highlighting continued execution and demand risks despite the sizable backlog. First Solar Sales Fall on Contract Cancellations
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a pending securities class action alleging misleading statements about tariff impacts and international production challenges. The allegations remain unresolved, but the litigation adds headline and potential financial risk. First Solar Shareholder Action Reminder

First Solar Company 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.