Q1 EPS Estimates for First Solar Decreased by Zacks Research

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2025 earnings estimates for shares of First Solar in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 18th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now forecasts that the solar cell manufacturer will post earnings per share of $2.37 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate 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 posted its quarterly 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). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. The firm had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.48 billion.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of First Solar from $273.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on First Solar from $250.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $262.08.

First Solar Stock Up 2.2 %

FSLR opened at $131.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.44. First Solar has a 12 month low of $124.96 and a 12 month high of $306.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.31, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $188.05.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Solar

In other news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of First Solar stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $484,793.40. The trade was a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 1,272 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.96, for a total transaction of $169,125.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,492,640. The trade was a 1.15 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 34,311 shares of company stock worth $4,767,158. Insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of First Solar by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,134 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,081,000 after buying an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Lighthouse Financial LLC bought a new position in First Solar in the 4th quarter worth about $363,000. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH increased its position in First Solar by 147.9% in the 4th quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 2,749 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $484,000 after acquiring an additional 1,640 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in First Solar in the fourth quarter worth about $43,442,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.