Zacks Research Expects Stronger Earnings for First Solar

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Analysts at Zacks Research lifted their FY2025 EPS estimates for First Solar in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, July 1st. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings per share of $13.31 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $13.26. The consensus estimate for First Solar’s current full-year earnings is $13.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for First Solar’s Q4 2025 earnings at $5.28 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $3.10 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $4.06 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $5.68 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $7.56 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $20.41 EPS and Q1 2027 earnings at $4.45 EPS.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $1.95 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by ($0.55). The company had revenue of $844.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $863.11 million. First Solar had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 29.72%. The business’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.20 earnings per share.

Several other analysts have also commented on FSLR. Barclays cut their price objective on First Solar from $236.00 to $204.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on First Solar from $188.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $204.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Guggenheim cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $253.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of First Solar from $200.00 to $187.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $228.69.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $170.52 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $154.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.89. The firm has a market cap of $18.29 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. First Solar has a 1-year low of $116.56 and a 1-year high of $262.72.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other First Solar news, insider Patrick James Buehler sold 1,868 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.08, for a total value of $278,481.44. Following the sale, the insider owned 5,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $894,181.84. The trade was a 23.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 9,557 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.05, for a total value of $1,481,812.85. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 8,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,246,136.85. This represents a 54.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 14,376 shares of company stock valued at $2,227,172. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 35.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC now owns 2,414 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $393,000 after acquiring an additional 630 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of First Solar by 138.9% in the 2nd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 172 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,005,000. Swedbank AB raised its holdings in First Solar by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 154,932 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $19,588,000 after buying an additional 12,872 shares during the period. Finally, BROOKFIELD Corp ON lifted its position in First Solar by 5.6% in the first quarter. BROOKFIELD Corp ON now owns 17,863 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $2,258,000 after buying an additional 953 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.