Fifth Third Bancorp Buys 11,279 Shares of First Solar, Inc. $FSLR

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) by 219.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,422 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,279 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in First Solar were worth $3,239,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of FSLR. Woodline Partners LP boosted its stake in First Solar by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 9,044 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,143,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in First Solar by 50.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. boosted its holdings in First Solar by 84.3% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,529 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $750,000 after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Solar during the second quarter worth about $494,000. Finally, AXA S.A. grew its stake in shares of First Solar by 6.3% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 18,862 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $3,122,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares during the last quarter. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Solar Stock Performance

Shares of First Solar stock opened at $211.99 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $22.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.73. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $251.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.56. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $171.86 and a fifty-two week high of $320.95.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The solar cell manufacturer reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. First Solar had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 30.73%.The business’s revenue was up 23.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.95 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that First Solar, Inc. will post 17.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Solar news, CEO Mark R. Widmar sold 4,815 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.43, for a total transaction of $1,191,375.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 89,033 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,029,435.19. This represents a 5.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Kuntal Kumar Verma sold 582 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.00, for a total transaction of $145,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,750. The trade was a 10.49% 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 31,893 shares of company stock worth $7,893,775 in the last 90 days. 0.39% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of First Solar from $205.00 to $187.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of First Solar from $255.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of First Solar from $243.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of First Solar from $252.00 to $237.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, First Solar presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $256.41.

Trending Headlines about First Solar

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some recent commentary remains constructive, with articles highlighting First Solar’s attractive valuation and brokerage ratings that still lean to a “Moderate Buy,” suggesting the stock may still have longer-term support from analysts and fundamental investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: First Solar announced it will report second-quarter 2026 results on July 30, which gives traders a clear near-term event to watch for guidance, margins, and commentary on tariffs, production utilization, and demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market articles noted the stock had recently been trading around fair-value estimates and reacting to broader solar demand and tariff expectations, indicating mixed sentiment ahead of earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reiterated class-action lawsuits and lead-plaintiff deadlines against First Solar over alleged misleading disclosures tied to tariff-related production decisions and facility underutilization, creating a legal overhang that can weigh on the shares. Article title
• Negative Sentiment: Trading commentary also pointed to recent weakness as investors weighed the lawsuit risk, insider selling, and caution ahead of the July 30 earnings release, which can amplify profit-taking in a volatile name like FSLR.

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.