Zacks Research Has Negative View of First Solar Q3 Earnings

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Research analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q3 2025 EPS estimates for shares of First Solar in a report released on Tuesday, November 19th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now anticipates that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings of $3.82 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $4.80. The consensus estimate for First Solar’s current full-year earnings is $13.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for First Solar’s Q2 2026 earnings at $5.75 EPS and Q3 2026 earnings at $4.96 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on FSLR. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $329.00 to $297.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of First Solar from $325.00 to $326.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. DZ Bank upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on First Solar from $281.00 to $278.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their price target on First Solar from $368.00 to $335.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $279.04.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $186.05 on Friday. First Solar has a one year low of $135.88 and a one year high of $306.77. The company has a 50-day moving average of $212.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $225.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market cap of $19.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.48.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $2.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by ($0.19). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. The company had revenue of $887.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.50 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Morse Asset Management Inc raised its stake in First Solar by 10.7% during the third quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc now owns 12,449 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,105,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of First Solar by 38.5% during the third quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 8,041 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $2,006,000 after buying an additional 2,235 shares in the last quarter. TCW Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 27.4% in the third quarter. TCW Group Inc. now owns 16,374 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $4,084,000 after acquiring an additional 3,526 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its position in First Solar by 60.9% during the 3rd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 122,843 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $30,643,000 after acquiring an additional 46,475 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in First Solar by 68.0% during the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 60,083 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $14,987,000 after purchasing an additional 24,312 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by 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.