Piper Sandler Cuts First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target to $251.00

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at Piper Sandler from $260.00 to $251.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock. Piper Sandler’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 41.86% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on FSLR. Mizuho set a $324.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. HSBC upgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $266.23.

First Solar Price Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $176.93 on Wednesday. First Solar has a 1-year low of $170.80 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.91, a PEG ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.74. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $209.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $220.68.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $922,706.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares in the company, valued at $1,402,513.12. The trade was a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 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 value of $160,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,842 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,168,400. This trade represents a 12.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 15,881 shares of company stock valued at $3,617,086 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter worth about $3,310,298,000. ABS Investment Management LLC bought a new position in First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,297,780,000. Hill City Capital LP bought a new position in First Solar during the second quarter valued at approximately $620,133,555. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in First Solar by 7.0% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,535,836 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $362,396,000 after buying an additional 100,694 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in First Solar by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,261,472 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $329,534,000 after buying an additional 65,486 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More First Solar News

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

• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc upgraded First Solar from Underweight to Sector Weight, citing the stock’s substantial decline and valuation as factors that limit further downside. The upgrade helped provide some support for the shares. KeyBanc Just Upgraded First Solar Stock. Here’s Why.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sell-side analysts now give First Solar an overall “Moderate Buy” rating, suggesting the valuation and long-term growth outlook remain attractive despite near-term uncertainty. First Solar Stock Now Rated Moderate Buy by Sell-Side Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp reduced its First Solar EPS estimates for the third quarter of 2026 to $4.59 from $4.99 and for the fourth quarter to $5.12 from $5.76. Its full-year 2026 forecast of $16.85 is also below the broader consensus of $17.78.
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp also trimmed its longer-term EPS forecasts to $22.62 for 2027, $25.53 for 2028 and $29.36 for 2029. Although the reductions are modest for 2027 and 2029, they weaken the expected earnings trajectory.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts highlighted medium-term pricing pressure from elevated U.S. inventory and slow project starts, while higher bond yields are weighing on solar stocks by increasing project financing costs. First Solar Faces Pricing Pressure Amid High Inventory and Slow Project Starts
• Negative Sentiment: A separate bearish analysis argued that the market remains unconvinced by First Solar’s investment case, reinforcing concerns about valuation, demand timing and near-term earnings execution. First Solar: Why the Market Still Doesn’t Believe the Story

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc is a solar technology and manufacturing company that designs and produces photovoltaic (PV) solar modules for utility-scale power projects. Unlike conventional crystalline-silicon panels, its modules use thin-film semiconductor technology based on cadmium telluride (CdTe), which the company says can provide advantages in energy yield, temperature performance and lifecycle sustainability.

The company’s product portfolio includes its Series 6 and Series 7 thin-film solar modules, along with related services such as technical support, module recycling and end-of-life collection.