For the quarter ended December 2024, First Solar (FSLR) reported revenue of $1.51 billion, up 30.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $3.65, compared to $3.25 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +2.98% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.47 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $4.64, the EPS surprise was -21.34%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how First Solar performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Modules MW sold: 5,122 MW compared to the 5,352.46 MW average estimate based on seven analysts.
• Modules MW produced: 4,299 MW versus 4,618.31 MW estimated by four analysts on average.
• Net Sales- Modules: $1.51 billion compared to the $1.47 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +30.8% year over year.
• Net Sales- Other: $0.15 million compared to the $1.03 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -84.2% year over year.
• Gross Profit- Other: -$0.15 million compared to the $0.06 million average estimate based on three analysts.
• Gross Profit- Modules: $567.81 million versus $683.76 million estimated by three analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for First Solar here>>>

Shares of First Solar have returned -6.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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