First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Freedom Capital

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

Several other analysts also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Solar in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on First Solar from $286.00 to $303.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Guggenheim upped their price objective on First Solar from $289.00 to $312.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut First Solar from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $300.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, October 31st. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $257.91.

First Solar Stock Down 1.4%

NASDAQ FSLR opened at $197.20 on Thursday. First Solar has a 52 week low of $116.56 and a 52 week high of $285.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The company has a market capitalization of $21.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 1.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $241.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $235.98.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.22 by ($0.38). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 29.28%.The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.65 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that First Solar will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of First Solar

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in First Solar during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 102 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of First Solar by 69.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 183 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.08% of the company’s stock.

Key First Solar News

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

First Solar Company Profile

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.