First Solar Stock Outlook: Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish?

Company Overview - First Solar, Inc. is a leading American manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic solar modules using cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology, with a market capitalization of $25.55 billion [1] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, First Solar's stock has gained 43.2%, significantly outperforming the broader S&P 500 index, which is up 14% [2] - Year-to-date, First Solar's stock is down 8.9%, while the S&P 500 index has increased marginally [3] - The stock reached a 52-week high of $285.99 in December 2025 but is currently down 16.8% from that level [4] Financial Performance - For the third quarter, First Solar's net sales grew 79.7% year-over-year to $1.59 billion, and EPS increased from $2.91 to $4.24, although results fell short of analysts' expectations [5] - The company narrowed its 2025 net sales guidance from $4.90 billion-$5.70 billion to $4.95 billion-$5.20 billion and lowered its volume sold expectation from 16.7 GW-19.3 GW to 16.7 GW-17.4 GW [5] Competitive Position - The United States Patent and Trademark Office denied three Inter Partes Review applications from competitors, supporting First Solar's competitive edge in the Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) segment [6] Future Expectations - For the fourth quarter of 2025, analysts expect First Solar's EPS to increase 43% year-over-year to $5.22 on a diluted basis [7] - EPS is projected to increase to $14.63 for fiscal 2025 and further improve by 58.8% to $23.23 in fiscal 2026 [9]