First Solar Inc

Several stocks made notable premarket moves on Thursday. Riot Platforms surged nearly 20% after second-quarter revenue of $174.2 million exceeded the $154.3 million FactSet consensus, and the crypto miner announced a 191-megawatt data center lease deal with a Leading Frontier AI Lab. Hims & Hers Health fell 6% after trimming the upper end of its full-year EBITDA outlook and posting a net loss of 37 cents per share for Q2, versus a profit of 17 cents a year earlier. Intel edged lower after upsizing a common stock offering to $20 billion from $15 billion for general corporate purposes. Plug Power rallied 13% on a smaller-than-expected second-quarter loss, while First Solar gained more than 3% after Baird upgraded the stock to outperform and raised its price target to $318, citing a strong utility-scale market. Cardinal Health moved nearly 2% higher as adjusted earnings of $2.60 per share beat the $2.42 estimate, though revenue of $63.67 billion missed the $65.15 billion consensus, and full-year EPS guidance topped expectations.

New US tariffs on imported solar panels are seen as a major boost for First Solar, according to analysts at UBS and BNP Paribas. The trade policy sets a minimum import price of $0.38 a watt plus a 15% tariff, yielding an effective price of about $0.44 a watt, up from roughly $0.30 a watt for imported panels. UBS analyst Jon Windham maintained a Buy rating and $330 price target on First Solar, expecting the tariffs to support new bookings and higher average selling prices, while BNP Paribas analyst Moses Sutton raised the firm's First Solar price target to $402 from $281, calling the change a structural rise in terminal value. Both analysts see First Solar as the biggest beneficiary, though BNP Paribas trimmed longer-term US solar installation forecasts, cutting its 2028 estimate to 52 gigawatts from 55, its 2029 estimate to 55 gigawatts from 65, and its 2030 forecast to 43 gigawatts from 55. The analysts cited factors that could cushion the tariff impact, including a 120-day implementation delay expected to spur a rush of panel imports, an estimated 95 gigawatts of inventory entering 2027, and developers' ability to pass higher costs through power purchase agreements.

First Solar has publicly backed a new U.S. policy imposing 15% tariffs and minimum import prices on polysilicon imports, a move the company says supports domestic manufacturing investments and future production plans. The policy targets concerns over Chinese competition and supply chain risk for U.S. solar manufacturers. First Solar reaffirmed its 2026 volume and net sales guidance, indicating current policy settings are already factored into its operational plans. The company's stock traded at $250.05, with a 35.4% return over the past year and a 158.9% return over five years, though it has declined 8.9% so far in 2026.

Solar stocks surged after President Trump imposed new tariffs on imported solar products, including a 15% tariff and minimum import prices on polysilicon and downstream products such as wafers, cells and modules, effective December 4th. The clean energy heat map on Yahoo Finance's AlphaSpace platform showed broad gains, with Sunrun up 9.3%, Plug Power up 4.6%, First Solar up 3%, and Enphase Energy up 4.8%. First Solar was seen as a clear winner because it manufactures in the US and uses thin film technology, while SolarEdge was the only decliner, down 3.4%, due to its imports from China.

Several companies made significant premarket moves following their latest earnings reports. Atlassian shares jumped more than 29% after beating FactSet consensus on revenue and guidance for its fourth quarter, though its 13% year-over-year revenue growth forecast fell short of the 13.4% expectation. Wendy's dropped 2% as global sales declined more than 6%, driven by an 8.2% U.S. decline, and the company withdrew its 2026 financial outlook despite beating FactSet consensus on earnings, revenue, and adjusted EBITDA. Solar stocks rose after President Trump imposed tariffs on imported solar panel components, with First Solar up more than 5%, Invesco Solar ETF up nearly 3%, and SolarEdge Technologies up 2%. Airbnb surged nearly 7% after posting second-quarter earnings of $1.37 per share on revenue of $3.61 billion, exceeding LSEG estimates of $1.25 per share and $3.58 billion. Twilio soared more than 17% as it guided for adjusted earnings of $1.42 to $1.47 per share on revenue of $1.51 billion to $1.52 billion, above the $1.39 per share and $1.46 billion consensus, and raised its full-year revenue growth outlook to 18% to 18.5% from 14% to 15%, topping the 14.8% forecast. Trade Desk tumbled 27% after second-quarter adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share on revenue of $715 million missed LSEG estimates of 40 cents and $751 million. Cloudflare jumped more than 16.5% on strong guidance, expecting third-quarter adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share on revenue of $736 million to $737 million, compared with consensus of 32 cents and $722 million, and also beat second-quarter estimates. Akamai Technologies rose 8.3% after second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.59 per share on revenue of $1.10 billion topped LSEG forecasts of $1.57 per share and $1.09 billion.

First Solar finished Monday as the top gainer on the S&P 500, surging 10.3% in an apparent delayed reaction to its second-quarter report that showed earnings easily beating analyst estimates while the company maintained guidance for full-year gross profit of $2.4 billion to $2.6 billion and revenue of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion. Q2 net income rose to $422.6 million, or $3.92 per share, from $341.9 million, or $3.18 per share, in the year-earlier quarter, while revenue slipped 3.5% year-over-year to $1.06 billion, largely due to customer contract terminations, and cost of sales fell 24% to $451.2 million. The company ended the quarter with 45.1 gigawatts of contracted backlog extending through 2030. CEO Mark Widmar said on the earnings call that the company expects greater policy clarity from the coming Section 232 tariff decision to help inform the long-term operating profile for the roughly 1.8 gigawatts of fully finished international capacity that remains available, and noted increased customer engagement relative to the beginning of the year. Goldman Sachs analyst Brian Lee reiterated a Buy rating and $310 price target, while Guggenheim and Citi analysts also maintained Buy ratings and raised their price targets.

First Solar has issued third-quarter 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $625 million to $775 million while awaiting clarity on the Section 232 polysilicon investigation. The company expects volumes sold between 3.9 gigawatts and 4.5 gigawatts for the third quarter. Full-year 2026 guidance remains unchanged, though the outlook now assumes a net tariff impact of $60 million to $80 million, incorporating an estimated $89 million net IEEPA tariff-related benefit in the second quarter and the assumption of Section 301 tariffs in the second half of the year. CEO Mark Widmar noted that the policy landscape continues to evolve, particularly around the pending Section 232 outcome and final FEOC regulations, and emphasized prioritizing pricing and contract quality over short-term bookings volume. CFO Alexander Bradley reported second-quarter net sales of approximately $1.06 billion, gross margin of approximately 57%, and net income of $423 million, while the contracted backlog stood at 45.1 gigawatts with an aggregate transaction value of $13.6 billion as of June 30, 2026.

Amazon shares jumped more than 9% in extended trading after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter revenue and cloud growth, with its cloud segment revenue expanding 37% year over year, the fastest growth in 18 quarters. Apple shares fell more than 4% in volatile after-hours trading despite reporting stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter revenue driven by a 22% increase in iPhone sales. Coinbase slid more than 5% after posting a third straight quarterly loss of $359.5 million, or $1.36 per share, missing analyst estimates of a 17-cent loss, while revenue of $1.22 billion fell short of the $1.31 billion estimate. Rivian Automotive rose nearly 2% after reducing its 2026 spending plans and slightly narrowing forecasted losses this year, while reconfirming a delivery target of 65,000 to 70,000 vehicles. Reddit sank over 7% as CEO Steve Huffman described search-referral traffic from Google as choppy, even though the company beat second-quarter earnings estimates and issued guidance that sailed past expectations. First Solar gained more than 3% after reporting second-quarter earnings of $3.92 per share, beating the FactSet consensus estimate of $2.99, with revenue of $1.06 billion matching views.

The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF is recommended over the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF for investors who can tolerate near-term volatility, citing a macro trend toward renewable energy. The State Street fund, with $39.5 billion in assets under management, offers a 0.08% expense ratio and a 2.60% dividend yield, while the iShares fund, at $2.4 billion in assets, charges 0.39% and yields 1.00%. Over five years, the iShares fund experienced a maximum drawdown of 57.20% compared to 26.00% for the State Street fund, yet it has returned 13% in the past three months versus a 13% loss for the State Street fund. The iShares fund holds 105 globally diversified stocks across technology, utilities, and industrials, whereas the State Street fund concentrates on 21 U.S. oil and gas companies.

First Solar stock screens as undervalued on both discounted cash flow and earnings multiples, with a DCF model pointing to an intrinsic value of about $323 per share, roughly a 30.6% discount to the current market price. The model starts with trailing twelve-month free cash flow of about $1.0 billion and assumes continued growth before tapering. On a price-to-earnings basis, First Solar trades at about 14.4 times, well below the semiconductor industry average of 63.4 times and a tailored fair P/E estimate of around 35.9 times. Wells Fargo recently adjusted its price target on the stock, tied to expectations around U.S. tariff decisions that could support domestic solar suppliers. The analysis notes that policy risk and global solar market volatility remain key uncertainties that could affect whether the current discount is justified.

StockStory identifies First Solar and Zoetis as value stocks with promising prospects, while cautioning against Weatherford. First Solar, trading at $228.75 per share with a forward P/E of 11.7x, has seen 23.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years and a positive free cash flow profile. Zoetis, at $74.96 per share and a forward P/E of 10.8x, demonstrates 8.7% constant currency growth and a robust 21.3% free cash flow margin. In contrast, Weatherford, priced at $83.00 with a forward P/E of 14.7x, has experienced annual sales declines of 5.1% over the past decade and a below-peer gross margin of 31.7%.

First Solar is drawing renewed attention after several Wall Street firms highlighted the stock's recent pullback and potential benefits from upcoming U.S. tariff decisions on polysilicon and Chinese-related solar equipment. The stock has fallen 18.38% over the past 30 days but still shows a 37.61% total shareholder return over the last year. A widely followed narrative pegs First Solar's fair value at $243.59, slightly above the last close of $227.72, implying the stock is about 6.5% undervalued. That view rests on policy support, capacity build-out, and technology progress, with recent U.S. incentives and tighter restrictions against foreign entities of concern boosting the company's competitive moat and supporting higher long-term contracted pricing. However, any shift in tariffs or incentives, or a setback in thin-film technology, could quickly challenge that outlook.

Deutsche Bank upgraded First Solar to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $272 from $245, citing the stock's 27% decline since June 1 as an attractive entry point ahead of an expected stronger second half. Analyst Corinne Blanchard pointed to increased anti-China and favorable U.S. policies that add protectionism for First Solar, with momentum expected to build before Section 232 policy clarification in the coming weeks. First Solar remains a fundamentally strong U.S.-based panel producer with a solid balance sheet and $2.1 billion of net cash. Solar shares broadly pulled back on Tuesday as rising interest rates dampened rate-sensitive sectors, with SolarEdge Technologies down 6.4%, Sunrun down 5.2%, Array Technologies down 4.6%, Canadian Solar down 4.5%, and Enphase Energy down 3.1%.

Wall Street analysts issued a flurry of ratings changes on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Bank of America downgraded Adobe to Underperform from Buy with a $190 target, while Erste Group cut Broadcom to Hold from Buy. Meta Platforms was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Erste Group, and Shopify was reinstated with a Buy rating at Bank of America with a $150 target. Space Exploration Technologies, which recently completed a massive IPO and joins the Nasdaq-100 today, drew Buy initiations from Goldman Sachs at $205, UBS at $210, and Stifel at $190. Other notable moves include Cloudflare upgraded to Outperform at Scotiabank, First Solar raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank, and American Airlines downgraded to Hold at Melius Research.

Fiserv shares rallied more than 5% in premarket trading after The Wall Street Journal reported the fintech company has discussed selling its debit-card payments infrastructure business to major U.S. banks including JPMorgan and Bank of America. Vertex Pharmaceuticals agreed to buy Crinetics Pharmaceuticals in a $10 billion deal for rare hormonal disease treatments, sending Crinetics shares roughly doubling while Vertex dipped nearly 1%. First Solar rose nearly 3% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to buy from neutral, citing a potential trade policy shift among reasons to buy the dip. Chip stocks slid, with Micron and Lam Research each dropping 5%, as mixed quarterly results from Samsung led investors to reduce exposure to the artificial intelligence trade. Rivian tumbled 9% despite issuing revenue and delivery guidance that topped FactSet consensus, as it also announced a capital raise through the sale of 75 million new shares. The global chip selloff hit South Korea's Kospi Index, which fell more than 4%, while the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF dropped 4.6% in the premarket.

First Solar shares rose 5% after Wells Fargo raised its price target to $320 from $255, citing asymmetric upside from a pending Section 232 polysilicon ruling. SolarEdge jumped 8%, Canadian Solar gained 7%, and Enphase added 5% in a broad sector rally, with the Invesco Solar ETF up 3%. Wells Fargo analyst Praneeth Satish reiterated an Overweight rating on First Solar, whose Q1 2026 earnings beat estimates and which reaffirmed full-year net sales guidance of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion. Bernstein maintains an Underperform rating on First Solar with a $217 target, warning of reliance on government tax credits. The Section 232 decision is expected by early August.

StockStory has placed Enpro and First Solar on its watchlist while recommending investors avoid Silgan Holdings. The firm highlights Enpro’s 5-percentage-point operating margin improvement over five years and 16.4% annual EPS growth, along with strong free cash flow generation. First Solar is cited for 23.3% annual revenue growth over the past two years, positive free cash flow, and rising returns on capital. Silgan Holdings is flagged for slow 5.1% annual revenue growth, a low 16.8% gross margin, and a thin 1.9% free cash flow margin over five years. The industrials sector has gained 13.3% over six months, outpacing the S&P 500’s 7.7% return.

First Solar shares gained alongside other solar stocks on June 30 after Reuters reported the Trump administration is considering a ban on imports of foreign-made inverters over concerns China could use them to disrupt power supplies. While First Solar does not manufacture inverters, it produces solar panels without Chinese technology and could benefit from increased demand for domestic content in solar projects. In the first quarter, First Solar's net sales rose 24% year-over-year to $1.04 billion, and earnings per share increased 65% to $3.22, marking a record first-quarter revenue. The stock has gained more than 42% over the past year and is held by 67 hedge funds, with Peconic Partners boosting its stake by 34% during the first quarter of 2026.