The Goldman Sachs Group Issues Positive Forecast for First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Stock Price

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price objective boosted by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $300.00 to $310.00 in a research report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 46.43% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on FSLR. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on First Solar from $258.00 to $236.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on First Solar in a report on Monday, January 12th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.47.

First Solar Stock Performance

FSLR opened at $211.71 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $198.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $231.76. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. First Solar has a 12-month low of $122.47 and a 12-month high of $285.99.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.44% and a net margin of 30.73%.The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.95 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that First Solar will post 17.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 7,738 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 91,787 shares in the company, valued at $17,983,826.91. This represents a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 3,426 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,256.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 8,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,632,880.62. This trade represents a 29.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 76,562 shares of company stock valued at $15,042,232 over the last 90 days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 1.7% during the third quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,287 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $504,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,606 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $942,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Solar by 18.2% during the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 292 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd grew its position in First Solar by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 708 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $185,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its position in First Solar by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,879 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $414,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and margins beat expectations: First Solar reported $3.22 GAAP EPS vs. consensus ~$2.87 and record quarterly revenue (~$1.04B), with notable margin expansion that improves near‑term earnings visibility. Company Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance reaffirmed: Management reconfirmed FY2026 net sales ($4.9B–$5.2B) and adjusted EBITDA ($2.6B–$2.8B), removing some uncertainty around full‑year expectations and supporting valuation models. Quiver Quant Article
• Positive Sentiment: Strong bookings and demand mix: Management highlighted gross bookings (1.9 GW) and growth in key markets (India and U.S. utility scale), signaling continued sales momentum. Earnings Transcript (The Motley Fool)
• Positive Sentiment: Secular demand thesis reinforced by management: CEO Mark Widmar discussed rising power demand (including AI data centers) and U.S. manufacturing scale on TV, underscoring long‑term growth drivers. CEO Interview (YouTube)
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance nuance — midpoint slightly below some sell‑side estimates: while guidance was reaffirmed, the midpoint was reported modestly under some analyst models, which could temper upside expectations. Yahoo Finance Recap
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and institutional positioning mixed: median price target sits well above current levels but firms have recently trimmed or raised targets unevenly; institutional flows show major rebalances. These mixed signals can limit conviction. Quiver Quant — analyst & institutional data
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling: recent disclosures show numerous insider sales (no purchases) over the past six months, which some investors view as a governance or timing concern. Quiver Quant — insider trading
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing trade/tariff and policy risk: multiple reports note management is navigating tariff and regulatory uncertainty; this remains a tail risk that could widen volatility despite the beat. MSN — Tariffs Article

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.