First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Down 5.2% – What’s Next?

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) shares dropped 5.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $192.28 and last traded at $191.7920. Approximately 1,036,022 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 56% from the average session volume of 2,353,033 shares. The stock had previously closed at $202.34.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Broad solar-sector rebound: First Solar rose alongside Sunrun, SolarEdge and the Invesco Solar ETF as investors unwound recent selling. The rally’s breadth provides near-term support for FSLR, although the absence of a company-specific catalyst suggests the move may be momentum-driven. Sunrun and First Solar Rise as Solar Selloff Unwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Elevated call-option activity: Traders bought 40,306 call options on First Solar, approximately 61% above typical daily call volume. This indicates increased short-term bullish interest, though options activity is not necessarily evidence of improving fundamentals.
• Neutral Sentiment: Patent strategy remains active: First Solar plans to withdraw its Section 337 complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission without prejudice, while continuing TOPCon patent lawsuits in federal court and preserving the option to refile. The shift may reflect improved protection from new polysilicon tariffs, but it also removes a faster ITC enforcement route. First Solar Drops ITC Patent Case
• Negative Sentiment: Recent litigation-related pressure: The voluntary withdrawal of the ITC case triggered concern that First Solar could lose a potentially quicker remedy against competitors accused of infringing its TOPCon technology. That uncertainty contributed to the prior session’s decline and remains a risk until the federal lawsuits produce results.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on FSLR shares. Evercore reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, August 17th. HSBC raised shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 24th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $229.00 price objective (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $196.00 target price on First Solar in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Solar presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.06.

First Solar Price Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average is $214.27 and its 200 day moving average is $221.25. The stock has a market cap of $21.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.74.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 32.47%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.18 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.78 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Samantha L. Sloan sold 127 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.95, for a total transaction of $28,314.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $449,913.10. The trade was a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total transaction of $160,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 5,842 shares in the company, valued at $1,168,400. The trade was a 12.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 15,881 shares of company stock worth $3,617,086 in the last ninety days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake 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 worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC raised its position in First Solar by 2.3% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC now owns 2,026 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in First Solar by 4.1% in the fourth quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Burford Brothers Inc. grew its position in First Solar by 0.3% in the first quarter. Burford Brothers Inc. now owns 19,131 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,774,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its position in First Solar by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 806 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Solar Company Profile

First Solar, Inc is a renewable energy technology company that designs and manufactures photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe). The company also provides supporting services, including project development, engineering, procurement and construction support, operations and maintenance, and module recycling.

First Solar primarily serves utility-scale solar developers, system owners and operators, commercial customers, and government entities.