First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Alexander Bradley Sells 498 Shares

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CFO Alexander Bradley sold 498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.63, for a total value of $107,383.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 30,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,622,428.56. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

First Solar Price Performance

Shares of FSLR opened at $219.21 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $125.80 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $198.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $231.67. The company has a market capitalization of $23.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.57.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 30.73% and a return on equity of 18.01%. First Solar’s quarterly revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.95 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.23 earnings per share for the current year.

First Solar News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $3.22 (vs. ~$2.87 est.) and revenue +23.6% Y/Y to $1.04B; strong margins and revenue growth support upside for the shares. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Broker upgrade/notes emphasize policy upside (Section 232) and potential near‑term demand tailwinds, reinforcing investor optimism. Seeking Alpha: Freedom Broker Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: HSBC raised its price target to $231 (hold); Evercore nudged its PT to $219 (in-line). Both are incremental and largely reflect the Q1 print and policy/industry dynamics rather than sweeping analyst upgrades. MarketScreener: HSBC PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple executives filed Form 4s selling modest amounts of stock on May 5 to cover tax withholding on vested awards (CEO and several senior officers among them). These were routine/tax-related sales rather than large conviction sells, but markets sometimes interpret insider selling as a mild negative. SEC filing (example – CEO): SEC Form 4 (CEO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company posted its Q1 results materials/earnings presentation (useful for modeling but not new news beyond the beat). Earnings Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/market writeups highlight clean‑energy demand and industrial tailwinds that can lift FSLR over time; helpful context but not immediate catalysts. Kalkine Media
• Negative Sentiment: Several analyst/commentary pieces warn of regulatory uncertainty and demand risk (cautionary views on Section 201/232 impacts and other policy/regulatory factors); these raise short‑term risk appetite for some investors. Seeking Alpha: Regulatory/Demand Concern
• Negative Sentiment: Additional bearish analysis highlights downside risk despite recent strength — keep an eye on order cadence, module ASPs and policy finalizations. Seeking Alpha: Downside Risk

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on First Solar from $300.00 to $243.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on First Solar from $275.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Barclays lowered their target price on First Solar from $228.00 to $213.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. HSBC lifted their price target on First Solar from $211.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $205.00 to $187.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $246.10.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in First Solar by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after buying an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of First Solar by 50.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of First Solar by 84.3% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $750,000 after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. raised its stake in shares of First Solar by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,122,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.