Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for First Solar

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for First Solar in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 18th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now forecasts that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings of $2.37 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $3.78. 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 Q3 2025 earnings at $5.00 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $6.27 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $17.81 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $2.82 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $6.43 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $7.71 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $8.48 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $25.44 EPS.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($1.16). The business had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.48 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 32.41% and a return on equity of 17.56%.

FSLR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on First Solar from $282.00 to $268.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $265.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $285.00 price objective (down previously from $300.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $230.00 price objective (down previously from $260.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $262.08.

First Solar Stock Up 2.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $131.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 2.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.31, a PEG ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $156.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $188.22. First Solar has a 52-week low of $124.96 and a 52-week high of $306.77.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In related news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total value of $3,039,360.78. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,589,129.27. This represents a 17.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 599 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $80,116.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 45,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,114,648.75. The trade was a 1.29 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in First Solar by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,134 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,081,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Lighthouse Financial LLC purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at $363,000. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH boosted its holdings in First Solar by 147.9% in the fourth quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 2,749 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $484,000 after purchasing an additional 1,640 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at $43,442,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in First Solar by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 16,276 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,868,000 after purchasing an additional 738 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.