Insider Selling: First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) CTO Sells 3,425 Shares of Stock

04 Mar 2026, 03:07 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR – Get Free Report) CTO Markus Gloeckler sold 3,425 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.93, for a total value of $671,060.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 11,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,287,874.61. The trade was a 22.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

First Solar Price Performance

FSLR stock traded down $2.33 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $197.53. The company had a trading volume of 1,693,410 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,886,946. The business has a 50 day moving average of $238.81 and a 200 day moving average of $236.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. First Solar, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.56 and a fifty-two week high of $285.99.

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

First Solar News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Argus cut its price target from $300 to $250 but kept a “buy” rating, implying meaningful upside remains versus current levels. Argus adjusts price target
Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its target to $230 (still “overweight”), reflecting a more cautious recovery outlook but continued buy-side view. Morgan Stanley cuts price target
Neutral Sentiment: Barclays also lowered its target to $228 while maintaining an “overweight” rating — another signal that analysts expect upside but see nearer-term headwinds. Barclays lowers price target
Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest updates show zero/NaN values in published feeds (likely a data-error); nothing reliable to indicate a true surge in short activity. Investors should treat those figures with caution.
Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights FSLR’s Q4 earnings miss and weak 2026 sales guidance as the proximate cause of the selloff; the stock plunged after those results. ETFs in Focus post earnings miss
Negative Sentiment: A Pomerantz LLP investor‑alert says it is investigating claims on behalf of First Solar investors, introducing legal and reputational risk that can weigh on the stock. Pomerantz investor alert
Negative Sentiment: Critical commentary points to structural risks (e.g., subsidy dependence, margin pressures) and a “two‑billion dollar” vulnerability that could amplify downside if market conditions or policy support weaken. First Solar’s $2 billion problem
Neutral Sentiment: MarketWatch noted the stock underperformed peers despite recent intraday gains — a reminder that sector rotation and earnings surprises are driving relative moves. MarketWatch note

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Solar

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of First Solar by 3.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,721,979 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $3,026,108,000 after purchasing an additional 464,130 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in First Solar by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,326,082 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock valued at $881,680,000 after buying an additional 111,927 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in First Solar by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,919,991 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $761,396,000 after acquiring an additional 24,206 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its stake in First Solar by 60.6% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 2,266,050 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $375,122,000 after acquiring an additional 854,919 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its position in First Solar by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,215,461 shares of the solar cell manufacturer’s stock worth $578,791,000 after acquiring an additional 189,626 shares during the period. 92.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on First Solar from $285.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. DZ Bank raised shares of First Solar to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of First Solar from $316.00 to $300.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of First Solar from $320.00 to $253.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $263.00 price objective on First Solar in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $254.33.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on First Solar

About First Solar

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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.