First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.63 EPS

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The solar cell manufacturer reported $5.30 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.63, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.29 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 37.12% and a return on equity of 18.78%. First Solar’s quarterly revenue was down 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.24 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from First Solar’s conference call:

• Strong third-quarter financial performance: Net sales were approximately $1.2 billion, gross margin expanded to about 58%, adjusted EBITDA reached $744 million, and diluted EPS rose to $5.30, supported by a higher mix of U.S.-produced modules.
• First Solar ended the quarter with a substantial 44 GW backlog valued at approximately $13.5 billion and is pursuing higher pricing and stronger contractual protections as post-Section 232 price discovery develops.
• The company believes it is structurally positioned to benefit from U.S. policies favoring domestic, non-Chinese-dependent solar manufacturing, while AI-related electricity demand, data-center expansion, and electrification support long-term demand. The board also authorized a $500 million share repurchase program.
• Bookings have moderated as customers focus on near-term projects and await clarity on Section 232 implementation, FEOC rules, tariffs, permitting, and project economics. First Solar also lowered the 2026 outlook for certain India, international Series 6, and U.S. finishing volumes, while its Malaysia facility faces a binary full-operation-or-shutdown decision in the first half of 2027.

First Solar Stock Performance

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $174.40 on Friday. First Solar has a twelve month low of $165.86 and a twelve month high of $320.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.74 billion, a PE ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.80. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $216.19.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of First Solar from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Barclays cut their target price on First Solar from $279.00 to $259.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $275.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. William Blair set a $248.00 price target on First Solar in a research note on Friday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on First Solar from $197.00 to $169.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $259.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.00, for a total transaction of $139,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 5,042 shares in the company, valued at $877,308. The trade was a 13.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Jason E. Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $922,706.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,402,513.12. This represents a 39.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 16,681 shares of company stock worth $3,756,286 in the last 90 days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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, 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.