First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Cut to “Hold” at Glj Research

Glj Research lowered shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has $207.82 target price on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock, down from their previous target price of $314.43.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $205.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Bank of America dropped their price target on First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Guggenheim boosted their price target on First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets set a $263.00 price objective on First Solar in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on First Solar from $279.00 to $228.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $249.65.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FSLR opened at $189.21 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The company has a market capitalization of $20.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar has a 12 month low of $116.56 and a 12 month high of $285.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $234.09 and a 200-day moving average of $236.03.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The business had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that First Solar will post 13.05 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 728 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.95, for a total value of $143,379.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,498,001.70. The trade was a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 1,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $323,284.50. Following the transaction, the insider owned 32,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,308,946. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 31,975 shares of company stock valued at $6,267,492 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in First Solar by 3.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,026,108,000 after buying an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of First Solar by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $881,680,000 after buying an additional 111,927 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $761,396,000 after buying an additional 24,206 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $578,791,000 after acquiring an additional 189,626 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. manufacturing expansion: First Solar commissioned a new factory in Louisiana and plans additional capacity in South Carolina, improving domestic supply‑chain positioning and medium/long‑term revenue visibility. First Solar Expands US Manufacturing Footprint
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and retail/trending activity are elevated, which can amplify intraday swings but do not change the company’s fundamentals. Behind the Scenes of First Solar’s Latest Options Trends
• Negative Sentiment: 2026 guidance disappointed analysts, triggering multiple downgrades and the primary near‑term selling pressure as investors reprice earnings/margins. 2026 Guidance Disappoints, Triggers Downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst price‑target cuts (examples: Evercore to $212, Morgan Stanley to $230, Barclays to $228, Argus to $250) reduce headline upside and analyst support. Analyst Price Target Moves
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed on March 4 — CTO Markus Gloeckler sold ~3,640 shares (~$717k) and CAO Nathan Theurer sold 92 shares — which some investors view as a negative signal even if routine. CTO Insider Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investor investigation into First Solar, introducing legal/financial risk that could increase near‑term cautiousness. Pomerantz Investigates First Solar
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile negative commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer calling the recent quarter “one awful quarter”) can amplify short‑term selling momentum among retail traders. Jim Cramer on First Solar

First Solar Company Profile

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.