First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Price Target Cut to $307.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) had its price target cut by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $326.00 to $307.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the solar cell manufacturer’s stock. Morgan Stanley‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 79.82% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Evercore restated a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 price objective on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, August 17th. Barclays decreased their price target on First Solar from $279.00 to $259.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Susquehanna restated a “positive” rating and set a $246.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $199.00 target price on shares of First Solar in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $256.57.

First Solar Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of FSLR stock traded down $6.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $170.72. 1,697,473 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,344,697. First Solar has a 1-year low of $165.86 and a 1-year high of $320.95. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $189.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $216.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.34 billion, a PE ratio of 10.52, a PEG ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.80.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.24 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that First Solar will post 17.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at First Solar

In other news, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 5,624 shares in the company, valued at $1,402,513.12. This represents a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.51, for a total value of $1,550,570.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 7,642 shares in the company, valued at $1,692,779.42. The trade was a 47.81% decrease in their position. 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 have sold 16,681 shares of company stock valued at $3,756,286 over the last quarter. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fiduciary Financial Group LLC boosted 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 worth $478,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. 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 valued at $3,774,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its position in First Solar by 3.5% in the first quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,608 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $317,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its stake in First Solar by 0.3% in the second quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 17,102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,973,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cox Capital Mgt LLC increased its position in First Solar by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC now owns 13,989 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,450,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Solar News Summary

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, exceeding the roughly $4.67 analyst consensus by approximately 14%. Net income increased 25% year over year despite lower sales, helped by strong margins and cost controls. First Solar’s Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Decrease Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted a $13.5 billion backlog, which offers significant longer-term revenue visibility, and announced a $500 million share-repurchase program that could support per-share results. First Solar Announces Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: First Solar signed a non-exclusive U.S. patent licensing agreement with CubicPV covering perovskite technology, potentially strengthening its next-generation product development. Its South Carolina facility also advances domestic production capacity. First Solar and CubicPV Enter Patent Licensing Agreement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains mixed. Wells Fargo, RBC and Needham reduced price targets but retained bullish ratings, while Guggenheim previously raised its target to $299. First Solar Analysts Cut Their Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell 22.8% year over year to $1.23 billion, missing expectations of approximately $1.29 billion. Management also lowered its 2026 sales and shipment guidance, citing weaker demand and customers delaying purchase decisions. FSLR Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Pricing Shift and Outlook Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are reassessing near-term earnings potential: Bernstein downgraded First Solar to “underperform” with a $169 target, while GLJ Research downgraded it to “hold” with a $161 target. Sanford C. Bernstein First Solar Rating

About First Solar

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.