Barclays Lowers First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target to $228.00

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its target price lowered by equities researchers at Barclays from $279.00 to $228.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 15.43% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on FSLR. UBS Group lowered their price target on First Solar from $330.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on First Solar from $291.00 to $271.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $292.00 to $280.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $254.33.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $197.53 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $21.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.65. First Solar has a one year low of $116.56 and a one year high of $285.99. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $238.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.83. 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 quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). The company had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.65 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that First Solar will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, CFO Alexander R. Bradley sold 3,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $625,800.42. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 40,794 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,992,768.42. The trade was a 7.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total transaction of $671,060.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 11,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,287,874.61. The trade was a 22.68% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 27,515 shares of company stock valued at $5,389,095. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Woodline Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in First Solar by 10.4% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 34,473 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $5,707,000 after purchasing an additional 3,238 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in First Solar by 11.6% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,456 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $407,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas grew its holdings in shares of First Solar by 4.0% during the second quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 15,470 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $2,561,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of First Solar by 69.4% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 183 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Key First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Argus cut its price target from $300 to $250 but kept a “buy” rating, implying meaningful upside remains versus current levels. Argus adjusts price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $230 (still “overweight”), reflecting a more cautious recovery outlook but continued buy-side view. Morgan Stanley cuts price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays also lowered its target to $228 while maintaining an “overweight” rating — another signal that analysts expect upside but see nearer-term headwinds. Barclays lowers price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest updates show zero/NaN values in published feeds (likely a data-error); nothing reliable to indicate a true surge in short activity. Investors should treat those figures with caution.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights FSLR’s Q4 earnings miss and weak 2026 sales guidance as the proximate cause of the selloff; the stock plunged after those results. ETFs in Focus post earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: A Pomerantz LLP investor‑alert says it is investigating claims on behalf of First Solar investors, introducing legal and reputational risk that can weigh on the stock. Pomerantz investor alert
• Negative Sentiment: Critical commentary points to structural risks (e.g., subsidy dependence, margin pressures) and a “two‑billion dollar” vulnerability that could amplify downside if market conditions or policy support weaken. First Solar’s $2 billion problem
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch noted the stock underperformed peers despite recent intraday gains — a reminder that sector rotation and earnings surprises are driving relative moves. MarketWatch note

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.