First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemShares of First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $200.61, but opened at $211.00. First Solar shares last traded at $198.7810, with a volume of 660,737 shares.
Key Headlines Impacting First Solar
Here are the key news stories impacting First Solar this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted First Solar as “overlooked” and “too cheap,” calling attention to the stock’s valuation versus recent drawdown — this type of high-profile endorsement can attract bargain hunters and buying interest. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: First Solar scheduled its Q1 2026 earnings release and conference call for April 30 (after market close). Upcoming results and guidance will be the next major catalyst and could swing the stock depending on revenue, backlog commentary, and margin outlook. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: An insider, Kuntal Kumar Verma, sold 573 shares under a pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plan (avg. $210/share). The sale reduced his holding by ~6% but was disclosed as a planned trade, which lessens the negative signal compared with opportunistic insider selling. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Reports that China is considering limits on advanced solar equipment exports sparked sector-wide selling and put downward pressure on First Solar despite its U.S.-based manufacturing — fear of trade shocks and supply-chain disruption has driven short-term volatility. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Recent headlines noted the stock “sank” as the broader market gained, reflecting the immediate market reaction to the China export report and continued drag from the company’s post‑earnings volatility earlier this year. Traders reacting to headlines and macro risks are likely amplifying intraday weakness. Article Title
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research analysts have weighed in on FSLR shares. Freedom Capital lowered shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of First Solar in a report on Monday, January 12th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $263.00 to $252.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of First Solar from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $246.13.
Get Our Latest Research Report on First Solar
First Solar Price Performance
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.67. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $205.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $234.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.61.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $4.84 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. First Solar had a net margin of 29.28% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that First Solar, Inc. will post 13.05 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Activity at First Solar
In other First Solar news, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 573 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total transaction of $120,330.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 8,863 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,861,230. The trade was a 6.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Caroline Stockdale sold 335 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.80, for a total transaction of $67,268.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 34,060 shares in the company, valued at $6,839,248. This trade represents a 0.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 76,562 shares of company stock worth $15,042,232 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.39% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of First Solar
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brookstone Capital Management raised its position in shares of First Solar by 19.2% during the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 1,977 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $390,000 after buying an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 100.5% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 197,258 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $38,911,000 after buying an additional 98,877 shares in the last quarter. Evexia Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Evexia Wealth LLC now owns 2,941 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $589,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB raised its position in shares of First Solar by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 137,176 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $27,059,000 after buying an additional 2,154 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stance Capital LLC raised its position in shares of First Solar by 10,575.0% during the 4th quarter. Stance Capital LLC now owns 5,124 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $1,339,000 after buying an additional 5,076 shares in the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
About First Solar
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.