Zacks Research Decreases Earnings Estimates for First Solar

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2025 earnings estimates for shares of First Solar in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, March 18th. Zacks Research analyst A. Dutta now anticipates that the solar cell manufacturer will earn $2.37 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $3.78. The consensus estimate for First Solar’s current full-year earnings is $13.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for First Solar’s Q3 2025 earnings at $5.00 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $6.27 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $17.81 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $2.82 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $6.43 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $7.71 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $8.48 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $25.44 EPS.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on FSLR. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of First Solar from $254.00 to $236.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of First Solar from $297.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $251.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Mizuho upgraded shares of First Solar from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $218.00 to $259.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of First Solar from $240.00 to $209.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $262.08.

First Solar Stock Up 2.2 %

FSLR opened at $131.32 on Friday. First Solar has a twelve month low of $124.96 and a twelve month high of $306.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $156.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $188.22. The company has a market cap of $14.06 billion, a PE ratio of 11.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.52.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.81 by ($1.16). First Solar had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 32.41%. The company had revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.48 billion.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Solar

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FSLR. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 214.0% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of First Solar by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 262 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. Finally, Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in First Solar during the 4th quarter worth $53,000. 92.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 7,475 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.60, for a total value of $1,021,085.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $484,793.40. This trade represents a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 21,542 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.09, for a total transaction of $3,039,360.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,403 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,589,129.27. This represents a 17.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 34,311 shares of company stock valued at $4,767,158. Company insiders own 0.58% of the company’s stock.

About First Solar

First Solar, Inc, a solar technology company, provides photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions in the United States, France, Japan, Chile, and internationally. The company manufactures and sells PV solar modules with a thin film semiconductor technology that provides a lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV solar modules.