First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Now Covered by BNP Paribas Exane

BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Zacks reports. The firm issued a strong-buy rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. William Blair set a $248.00 target price on First Solar in a research note on Friday. Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $218.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 17th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on First Solar from $326.00 to $307.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $255.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $259.62.

First Solar Stock Performance

FSLR stock opened at $174.40 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $188.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $216.19. First Solar has a fifty-two week low of $165.86 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95. The firm has a market cap of $18.74 billion, a PE ratio of 10.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.80.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63. First Solar had a net margin of 37.12% and a return on equity of 18.78%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.24 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that First Solar will post 17.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Jason Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 5,624 shares in the company, valued at $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Samantha Sloan sold 127 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total value of $28,314.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,018 shares in the company, valued at approximately $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Vega Investment Solutions bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter worth about $40,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Allied Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of First Solar in the 2nd quarter valued at about $45,000. 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: First Solar reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.30 per share, beating estimates by roughly 14%, while net income increased 25% year over year. Strong margins and a reported $13.5 billion backlog provide support for longer-term earnings visibility. First Solar Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a $500 million share-repurchase program, which could support per-share results and signal management’s confidence in long-term cash generation. First Solar Posts Strong Q3 Results and Launches Buyback Plan
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar signed a U.S. patent licensing agreement with CubicPV covering perovskite technology, potentially advancing its next-generation solar-product development. The company also inaugurated the first phase of its South Carolina facility, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity. First Solar and CubicPV Enter U.S. Patent Licensing Agreement

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc is a vertically integrated solar technology and manufacturing company that designs, manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Its modules use advanced thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), rather than the crystalline-silicon technology used by most solar manufacturers. The company serves utility-scale solar developers, commercial and industrial customers, and other large-scale energy users.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, First Solar operates research and development, manufacturing and recycling facilities in the United States and internationally.