First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target Raised to $231.00

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price target lifted by HSBC from $211.00 to $231.00 in a report published on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. HSBC currently has a hold rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock.

FSLR has been the subject of several other research reports. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $312.00 to $269.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $246.10.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $214.57 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57. 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 50 day moving average of $196.96 and a 200 day moving average of $231.41. First Solar has a twelve month low of $127.32 and a twelve month high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.95 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 17.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Solar news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 409 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 10,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,244,492.67. The trade was a 3.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 235 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total transaction of $50,673.05. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,596,955.78. This trade represents a 3.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 81,204 shares of company stock worth $16,043,186 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of First Solar by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 84.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $750,000 after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. grew its position in shares of First Solar by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and healthy fundamentals: First Solar reported stronger?than?expected Q1 results (EPS and revenue upside, strong margins), which supports the company’s medium?term earnings outlook. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage support: Several firms have reiterated buys or raised targets recently (Freedom Broker/Freedom Capital upgrade to strong?buy, Barclays and Susquehanna issued buy notes, HSBC raised its PT to $231), giving buyers ammunition. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executive Form 4 filings show modest insider sales; company says sales were to cover tax withholding on vested awards — routine but sometimes interpreted as short?term selling pressure. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst scorecard is mixed: while many analysts remain constructive, several have adjusted price targets and ratings incrementally — the street’s consensus is still a “Moderate Buy” but with a wide range of PTs. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context: peer reports are mixed (e.g., SolarEdge posted a wider Q1 loss even as revenues rose), which can create uneven flows across solar names. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and demand uncertainty flagged by commentators: several pieces warn that unresolved policy (Section 201/232 and other rules) and order cadence risks could blunt near?term upside and increase volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysis highlights downside scenarios — watch module ASPs, order flow and final policy outcomes; these items likely explain some of the profit?taking after recent gains. Read More.

About First Solar

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.