First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday. The stock had previously closed at $185.90, but opened at $206.00. First Solar shares last traded at $207.0330, with a volume of 2,792,272 shares trading hands.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors expect Democratic control of Congress could bring renewed support for clean energy and domestic renewable manufacturing, lifting First Solar and other solar stocks. Article: First Solar Shares Surge as Democratic Midterm Victory Boosts Renewable Energy Stocks
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar already benefits from tariffs that support its competitive position, according to Benzinga, providing a potential advantage alongside any future policy support. Article: First Solar Jumps After Democratic Sweep, but Tariffs Already Favor It
• Positive Sentiment: Call-option trading was unusually active, with 67,156 contracts traded—128% above typical volume—signaling increased bullish positioning, though options activity is not a guarantee of further gains.
• Neutral Sentiment: The election prompted a rapid market rotation into clean-energy stocks, but the durability of the trade is uncertain. Policy changes take time, and the election does not immediately alter First Solar’s earnings. Article: Blue Trade Sends First Solar and Sunrun Soaring
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays lowered its price target to $230 from $259 while retaining an Overweight rating. Guggenheim also cut its target, adding a cautionary note despite the positive election-driven sentiment.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on FSLR. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Evercore reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 17th. HSBC upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on First Solar from $297.00 to $283.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $246.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $257.38.

First Solar Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $187.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $215.65. The company has a market cap of $21.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.73.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 37.12% and a return on equity of 18.33%. First Solar’s revenue was down 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.24 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,427 shares of company stock worth $1,250,221. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,310,298,000. Hill City Capital LP acquired a new position in First Solar during the second quarter worth $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in First Solar by 7.0% during the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $362,396,000 after buying an additional 100,694 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 4.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,305,471 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $257,441,000 after buying an additional 56,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 9.6% during the third quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 1,254,076 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $219,666,000 after buying an additional 110,031 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

First Solar Company Profile

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.