First Solar (FSLR) closed at $162.50 in the latest trading session, marking a -0.23% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.24%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.16%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.08%.

The the stock of largest U.S. solar company has fallen by 11.25% in the past month, lagging the Oils-Energy sector's loss of 3.18% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.37%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of First Solar in its upcoming release. The company plans to announce its earnings on February 25, 2025. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $4.69, reflecting a 44.31% increase from the same quarter last year. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $1.47 billion, showing a 26.91% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for First Solar. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the company's business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.28% increase. First Solar is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, First Solar is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 8. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 9.28, so one might conclude that First Solar is trading at a discount comparatively.

One should further note that FSLR currently holds a PEG ratio of 0.18. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. Solar stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 0.54 based on yesterday's closing prices.

The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 66, this industry ranks in the top 27% of all industries, numbering over 250.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.

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First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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