Evercore Has Lowered Expectations for First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Price

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price objective decreased by stock analysts at Evercore from $241.00 to $212.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. Evercore’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 8.27% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on FSLR. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $211.00 price objective (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Wolfe Research downgraded First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of First Solar from $303.00 to $256.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Argus decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $300.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $249.65.

First Solar Stock Performance

First Solar stock opened at $195.80 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $237.31 and a 200-day moving average of $236.55. The company has a market capitalization of $21.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar has a 1 year low of $116.56 and a 1 year high of $285.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 2.35.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,060.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 11,677 shares in the company, valued at $2,287,874.61. This trade represents a 22.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $1,516,106.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 91,787 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,983,826.91. The trade was a 7.77% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 27,515 shares of company stock valued at $5,389,095 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $392,040,000. Viking Global Investors LP increased its position in shares of First Solar by 60.6% during the second 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 in the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $200,109,000. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 2,663.8% in the 4th quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 666,307 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $174,059,000 after acquiring an additional 642,199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its position in First Solar by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,025,835 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $459,917,000 after acquiring an additional 564,032 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: First Solar commissioned new U.S. manufacturing capacity in Louisiana and announced plans for another South Carolina facility — a long‑term positive for onshore supply, project pipeline and policy exposure. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Argus trimmed its target but kept a “buy” rating (PT $250), signaling some analysts still see upside beyond near‑term headwinds. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and flow activity has picked up — elevated activity can amplify short‑term moves but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Feeds reported a “large increase” in short interest but the published numbers contain spurious zero/NaN values — treat those short‑interest claims as unreliable until corrected.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 earnings missed consensus and management issued weak 2026 sales guidance — this is the proximate trigger for the recent share decline and pressure on solar ETFs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Major firms trimmed targets or downgraded after the print — Morgan Stanley cut its target to $230 and Barclays to $228, signaling near‑term margin/pricing concerns. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Several senior insiders (CEO, CFO, CTO and others) sold sizable blocks on March 3 at ~\$196 — concentrated insider selling raises negative sentiment and can amplify short‑term selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP opened an investor investigation into First Solar, adding legal/reputational risk while inquiries proceed. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) described the quarter as “really bad” and advised waiting another quarter — negative media commentary can reinforce selling pressure. Read More.

About First Solar

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.