First Solar Stock Craters As Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates

Core Insights - First Solar reported quarterly earnings of $4.84 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $5.14, while quarterly sales reached $1.68 billion, exceeding the Street estimate of $1.56 billion and up from $1.51 billion in the same period last year [1][2] Group 1: Financial Performance - For the full year 2025, net sales were $5.2 billion, compared to $4.2 billion in the prior year, driven by a 24% increase in third-party module volume [2] - First Solar's quarterly sales increase was attributed to a rise in the volume of modules sold in the fourth quarter [1] Group 2: Strategic Developments - The company is expanding its operations with the commissioning of a new factory in Louisiana and plans to establish a new facility in South Carolina [2] - CEO Mark Widmar emphasized the importance of maintaining a disciplined approach to contracting and pricing certainty, which is valued by customers [3] Group 3: Future Outlook - First Solar projects fiscal 2026 revenue in the range of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion, which is below the analyst estimate of $6.12 billion [3] - Following the earnings report, First Solar's stock price dropped by 10.91% to $216.67 in extended trading [3]