First Solar is Set to Post Q2 Earnings: What's in Store?

Core Viewpoint - First Solar, Inc. is expected to report second-quarter 2025 results on July 31, 2025, after market close, with a negative earnings surprise of 22.00% in the last quarter and a four-quarter average negative earnings surprise of 6.94% [1] Factors Impacting Results - Global solar energy demand is steadily improving, driven by increasing energy consumption, declining installation costs, and heightened clean energy awareness, which is expected to boost sales volume for First Solar's products [2] - Solid revenue growth expectations are supported by a high mix of modules sold from U.S. factories that qualify for Section 45X tax credits, likely enhancing quarterly earnings growth [3] - However, lower capacity utilization and throughput at Malaysia and Vietnam factories, due to anticipated reduced demand for modules from newly imposed U.S. tariffs, may negatively impact revenues and earnings [4] - A shift in sales mix is anticipated, with more modules directed to the lower-priced Indian market instead of the U.S., which may also hurt top and bottom-line performance [5] - High module production costs in the U.S. and underutilization charges from lower-than-full production capacity in Asia are likely to affect overall bottom-line performance [6] Q2 Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FSLR's second-quarter sales is $1.03 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 1.9% [7] - The consensus estimate for earnings per share is $2.68, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 17.5% [7] Earnings Prediction Model - The current model does not predict an earnings beat for First Solar, with an Earnings ESP of -5.23% and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [8][10] Summary of Revenue Influences - Q2 revenues may rise due to strong solar demand and increased sales of U.S.-made modules, while new tariffs likely reduced Southeast Asia output, shifting module sales to lower-priced markets like India [9] - Higher U.S. production costs and factory underuse in Asia may weigh on FSLR's Q2 earnings performance [9]