First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wolfe Research

Wolfe Research lowered shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. HSBC reissued a “hold” rating and set a $211.00 target price (down from $280.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $303.00 to $256.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Seaport Research Partners boosted their target price on shares of First Solar from $217.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $257.91.

First Solar Stock Down 4.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:FSLR opened at $200.10 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $21.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.60. First Solar has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $285.99. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $243.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $235.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position 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 valued at $3,026,108,000 after buying an additional 464,130 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in First Solar by 2.1% in 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 boosted its stake 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 during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP boosted 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 acquiring an additional 854,919 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew 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 valued at $578,791,000 after acquiring an additional 189,626 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major brokers still express conviction: Goldman Sachs remains at a “buy” with a $300 target and several firms (UBS, JPMorgan, TD Cowen, Wells Fargo) kept buy/overweight stances despite cutting targets — signaling that analysts see material upside longer term. Goldman Sachs Maintains Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Idiosyncratic bullish views: some sell‑side and independent commentators frame the post‑earnings drop as a buying opportunity, arguing FSLR’s long‑run positioning in U.S. manufacturing and attractive valuation support staged entries. Seeking Alpha: Buy the Weakness
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry positioning: coverage comparing First Solar to peers (e.g., Enphase) highlights capacity growth and market opportunity, but notes demand visibility must improve to justify elevated multiple — useful context, not a direct catalyst. FSLR vs. ENPH Comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Primary negative driver — weak Q4 and below‑consensus 2026 revenue guidance (management cited project timing, permitting and tariff cost risks). The guidance miss and EPS shortfall sparked the initial sharp decline. Q4 Results & Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and policy uncertainty: U.S. tariff dynamics and a fresh U.S. decision hitting Indian solar exports (126% tariff story) raise cost/competitive risks and contributed to investor caution. Management flagged tariff impacts in post‑earnings commentary. India Tariff Story
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price‑target cuts have proliferated (Wolfe Research to hold, Baird reiterated neutral, HSBC reaffirmed hold and multiple firms trimmed targets), adding selling pressure and reducing near‑term conviction. Analyst Rating Moves
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: Pomerantz LLP announced an investor investigation into First Solar, which can increase short‑term uncertainty and create headline risk. Pomerantz 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.