Wolfe Research Downgrades First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) to Hold

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) was downgraded by analysts at Wolfe Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Roth Mkm set a $300.00 price target on First Solar in a report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen dropped their price target on First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First Solar currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $257.91.

First Solar Trading Down 1.4%

First Solar stock opened at $197.20 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. First Solar has a 12-month low of $116.56 and a 12-month high of $285.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $241.94 and a 200 day moving average of $235.98.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that First Solar will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of FSLR. SFE Investment Counsel increased its holdings in First Solar by 9.1% in the second quarter. SFE Investment Counsel now owns 69,810 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $11,556,000 after purchasing an additional 5,852 shares in the last quarter. Joule Financial LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the third quarter worth $950,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in First Solar by 22.0% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 77,155 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $17,015,000 after purchasing an additional 13,904 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in First Solar in the second quarter valued at $1,323,000. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the third quarter valued at about $1,193,000. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. tariffs on Indian solar manufacturers reduce potential low-cost competition for U.S. demand, which could benefit domestic suppliers like First Solar. India Tariff Article
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts and commentators view the post-earnings pullback as a buying opportunity — a “buy the weakness” thesis highlighting long-term project backlog and subsidy support (45X tax credits) for near-term profitability. Seeking Alpha Buy Thesis
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage noting First Solar’s role in clean-energy gains on the Nasdaq could support positive sentiment among sector-focused investors. Kalkine Media
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its price target (to $255) but kept an overweight stance — a mixed signal that reduces upside expectations while retaining conviction. Wells Fargo/PT Cut
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan also lowered price targets (Goldman to $300, JPM to $256) but maintained buy/overweight ratings, signaling confidence in medium-term fundamentals despite near-term revisions. Goldman/JPM PT Changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-wide weakness in the S&P 500 and tech dragged sentiment this week, amplifying pressure on cyclical/clean-energy names including FSLR. S&P 500 Weekly
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data reported is effectively negligible/ambiguous (zero shares reported), so short squeezes are unlikely to be a driver at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued weak sales/guidance for 2026 and disappointing Q1 guidance, which triggered a sharp share decline as investors reassess revenue and backlog trajectory. Weak Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: First Solar reported Q4 EPS below consensus despite revenue beat; margin reliance on tax credits (45X) and tapering backlog raise longer-term risk concerns. Earnings Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research downgraded FSLR from “strong-buy” to “hold,” and other outlets note gap-down trading and steep short-term losses — analyst skepticism is pressuring sentiment. Wolfe Research Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz law firm opened an investor investigation, introducing potential legal/financial risk and adding to short-term uncertainty. Investor 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.