First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Sets New 52-Week Low on Analyst Downgrade

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday after Piper Sandler lowered their price target on the stock from $260.00 to $251.00. Piper Sandler currently has an overweight rating on the stock. First Solar traded as low as $168.60 and last traded at $170.0560, with a volume of 414223 shares. The stock had previously closed at $175.16.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of First Solar in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. They issued a “market perform” rating for the company. UBS Group raised their price objective on First Solar from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on First Solar from $217.00 to $197.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 31st. Evercore reissued a “positive” rating and set a $218.00 price target on shares of First Solar in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Truist Financial restated a “hold” rating and set a $229.00 price target (down from $249.00) on shares of First Solar in a report on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.23.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Michael Koralewski sold 7,000 shares of First Solar 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 directly owned 7,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,692,779.42. The trade was a 47.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Jason Dymbort sold 3,700 shares of the company’s 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 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 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 three months. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler maintained an Overweight rating while lowering its price target modestly from $260 to $251. The revised target still implies substantial upside from current levels. Piper Sandler price target report
• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc upgraded First Solar to Hold, which is less bearish than its prior stance and may provide some support for the stock. KeyBanc rating upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: The broader sell-side view remains constructive, with First Solar receiving a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. First Solar analyst consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy investor search activity has increased attention around FSLR, but the reports do not identify a new company-specific catalyst. Investor search activity
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp reduced its EPS forecasts across 2026–2029, including 2026 earnings from $17.66 to $16.85, third-quarter EPS from $4.99 to $4.59, and fourth-quarter EPS from $5.76 to $5.12. The cuts place its 2026 forecast below the roughly $17.78 consensus and signal weaker near-term expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary cites rising bond yields as a headwind for solar stocks, since higher rates can increase project financing costs and reduce the appeal of renewable-energy investments. Rising yields pressure solar stocks
• Negative Sentiment: A recent Seeking Alpha analysis downgraded the stock, reflecting continued skepticism about whether First Solar’s long-term growth outlook is fully reflected in its valuation. Seeking Alpha downgrade analysis

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FSLR. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of First Solar by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,017 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,892,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Andra AP fonden lifted its stake in First Solar by 25.1% in the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 97,856 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $23,090,000 after buying an additional 19,607 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 100.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 61,768 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $14,575,000 after buying an additional 30,967 shares in the last quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Solar during the 2nd quarter valued at $232,000. Finally, National Pension Service boosted its stake in First Solar by 8.2% during the second quarter. National Pension Service now owns 254,763 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $60,114,000 after acquiring an additional 19,358 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

First Solar Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $18.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.49, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.74. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $208.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.53.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.90 by $1.02. First Solar had a net margin of 32.47% and a return on equity of 18.02%. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.18 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Solar Company Profile

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.