First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Upgraded at DZ Bank

DZ Bank upgraded shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $205.00 price target (down from $264.00) on shares of First Solar in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Guggenheim raised their target price on First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $300.00 to $245.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Roth Mkm set a $300.00 price target on First Solar in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.91.

First Solar Stock Down 1.4%

First Solar stock opened at $197.20 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $241.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $236.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.88, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.60. First Solar has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

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

Key Headlines Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. tariffs on Indian solar manufacturers reduce potential low-cost competition for U.S. demand, which could benefit domestic suppliers like First Solar. India Tariff Article
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the post-earnings pullback as a buying opportunity — a “buy the weakness” thesis highlighting long-term project backlog and subsidy support (45X tax credits) for near-term profitability. Seeking Alpha Buy Thesis
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting First Solar’s role in clean-energy gains on the Nasdaq could support positive sentiment among sector-focused investors. Kalkine Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its price target (to $255) but kept an overweight stance — a mixed signal that reduces upside expectations while retaining conviction. Wells Fargo/PT Cut
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan also lowered price targets (Goldman to $300, JPM to $256) but maintained buy/overweight ratings, signaling confidence in medium-term fundamentals despite near-term revisions. Goldman/JPM PT Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-wide weakness in the S&P 500 and tech dragged sentiment this week, amplifying pressure on cyclical/clean-energy names including FSLR. S&P 500 Weekly
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data reported is effectively negligible/ambiguous (zero shares reported), so short squeezes are unlikely to be a driver at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued weak sales/guidance for 2026 and disappointing Q1 guidance, which triggered a sharp share decline as investors reassess revenue and backlog trajectory. Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: First Solar reported Q4 EPS below consensus despite revenue beat; margin reliance on tax credits (45X) and tapering backlog raise longer-term risk concerns. Earnings Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research downgraded FSLR from “strong-buy” to “hold,” and other outlets note gap-down trading and steep short-term losses — analyst skepticism is pressuring sentiment. Wolfe Research Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz law firm opened an investor investigation, introducing potential legal/financial risk and adding to short-term uncertainty. Investor Investigation

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.