KabuDo

NASDAQ: FSLR · Semiconductors

First Solar

First Solar makes thin film cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic solar modules, produced in a fully integrated process that does not rely on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains, in factories in the United States, India, Malaysia and Vietnam. It calls itself the world’s largest thin film PV solar module manufacturer and the largest PV module manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere. 2025 net sales were $5,219 million (96% in the United States) and net income $1,528 million, supported by Section 45X advanced manufacturing production credits. At June 30, 2026 it had contracts for the future sale of 45.1 GW of modules worth $13.6 billion, to be recognized through 2030, and was building a sixth U.S. facility in South Carolina.

Last updated

Analysis last edited: October 31, 2026 · Financial data fetched: October 24, 2026 15:13 (SEC EDGAR) · Source 10-K filed: February 24, 2026

Built on10-K FY2025 · filed 2026-02-2410-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30) · filed 2026-10-29Proxy statement (2026)

Next update expectedAfter FY2026’s 10-K is filed (roughly 60–90 days after fiscal year end (sooner for larger filers)), financials and analysis will be refreshed.

01

At a glanceFrom SEC data

Eight headline measures, each placed among the companies covered on this site.

Revenue growth
14.0%

Higher than 77% of 372 non-financial companies

Average yearly growth over the years shown

Operating margin
30.6%

Higher than 83% of 311 non-financial companies

Latest fiscal year (FY2025)

ROIC minus WACC
+5.2 pts

Higher than 57% of 311 non-financial companies

Return on capital above (or below) its estimated cost

Net debt ÷ EBITDA
-1.1x

Higher than 8% of 304 non-financial companies

Below 0 means more cash than debt

Cash conversion
1.35x

Higher than 37% of 349 non-financial companies

Operating cash flow ÷ net income

Dividend raises
—

Years the dividend per share rose, of the last 5

P/E today
12.0x

Latest close 2026-11-04; trailing 12 months to 2026-09-30

Beta
1.09

Above 1 = moves more than the market

Each marker shows where this company sits among the non-financial companies covered on this site, not all listed companies (left = lowest, right = highest). A high position is not automatically good — for net debt ÷ EBITDA, higher means more debt. Details and formulas are in the sections below and in How to read this.

02

Valuation todayFrom SEC data

Price-based measures at the latest close, next to the same measures at the last fiscal year-end.

Share price$208.25close on 2026-11-04

Market cap$22.35B

P/E today
12.0x

At FY2025 year-end: 18.4x

Earnings: trailing 12 months to 2026-09-30

P/B today
2.3x

At FY2025 year-end: 2.9x

Book value at FY2025 year-end

EV/EBITDA today
9.4x

At FY2025 year-end: 12.1x

EBITDA for FY2025

FCF yield today
5.3%

At FY2025 year-end: 4.2%

Free cash flow for FY2025

Dividend yield today
—

Dividends per share for FY2025

“Today” uses the latest closing price (2026-11-04, Yahoo Finance daily closing prices) and shares outstanding at the last fiscal year-end. The rest of this page — including the financial table and ROIC vs. WACC — uses fiscal year-end prices. These are reference figures, not a judgment of whether the stock is cheap or expensive.

03

What changed since last earningsFrom SEC data

The latest reported quarter against the same quarter a year earlier, the balance sheet against the previous quarter-end, and what management said in its latest earnings release.

Quarter ended Sep 30, 2026.

  • Revenue↓ −22.8%$1.59B → $1.23B (vs. a year earlier)
  • Operating margin↑ +15.1 pts29.2% → 44.4% (vs. a year earlier)
  • Net income↑ +25.2%$456M → $571M (vs. a year earlier)
  • Diluted EPS↑ +25.0%$4.24 → $5.30 (vs. a year earlier)
  • Cash↓ −6.7%$1.69B → $1.58B (vs. previous quarter-end)
  • Long-term debt→ $0$0 → $0 (vs. previous quarter-end)

Source: Form 10-Q ↗ (SEC XBRL). Long-term debt is the tagged long-term debt figure and leaves out short-term borrowings.

From the earnings release of Oct 29, 2026.

Management outlook • Issued

Forecasts Q4 Adjusted EBITDA of $643M–$843M. Source sentence
These factors are expected to result in forecasted fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA between $643 million and $843 million.

Key changes

  • Q3 net sales $1.23B, down 23%. Source sentence
    Net sales of $1.23 billion, a decrease of 23% year-over-year
  • EPS $5.30, up 25%. Source sentence
    Net income per diluted share of $5.30, an increase of 25% year-over-year
  • New $500M share repurchase program. Source sentence
    First Solar board of directors authorizes $500 million share repurchase program

Written by AI. A line appears only if its figures and direction match the quoted sentence, which an automatic check confirms. Companies' outlooks are their own and may not be met. Read the release ↗

04

Company profileFrom SEC dataShow

Legal name
FIRST SOLAR, INC.
Headquarters
PHOENIX, AZ
Incorporated in
Delaware
Fiscal year end
12/31
Exchange & ticker
NASDAQ: FSLR
Industry
Semiconductors
CIK
1274494

Workforce (as of FY2025 year-end)

  • Employees

    7,900

Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) cover page and business description

05

Earnings calendarFrom SEC dataShow

When the company reports each quarter: the quarter-end date, the day results were released, and when the 10-Q or 10-K was filed.

Next report

Q4 FY2026

Quarter end: December 2026. In past years, Q4 results were released 55–58 days after quarter end (Feb 24, 2026; Feb 25, 2025; Feb 27, 2024). No date has been announced in the sources this site uses.

Reporting pattern

  • Fiscal year ends around December 31.
  • Reports four times a year: three quarterly reports (10-Q) and an annual report (10-K) for Q4.
  • Earnings releases came 29–58 days after quarter end over the last 12 quarters.
QuarterQuarter endedEarnings release (8-K)Report filed (10-Q / 10-K)
Q3 FY2026Sep 30, 2026Oct 29, 2026 (+29 days)Oct 29, 2026 10-Q (+29 days)
Q2 FY2026Jun 30, 2026Jul 30, 2026 (+30 days)Jul 30, 2026 10-Q (+30 days)
Q1 FY2026Mar 31, 2026Apr 30, 2026 (+30 days)Apr 30, 2026 10-Q (+30 days)
Q4 FY2025Dec 31, 2025Feb 24, 2026 (+55 days)Feb 24, 2026 10-K (+55 days)
Q3 FY2025Sep 30, 2025Oct 30, 2025 (+30 days)Oct 30, 2025 10-Q (+30 days)
Q2 FY2025Jun 30, 2025Jul 31, 2025 (+31 days)Jul 31, 2025 10-Q (+31 days)
Q1 FY2025Mar 31, 2025Apr 29, 2025 (+29 days)Apr 29, 2025 10-Q (+29 days)
Q4 FY2024Dec 31, 2024Feb 25, 2025 (+56 days)Feb 25, 2025 10-K (+56 days)
Q3 FY2024Sep 30, 2024Oct 29, 2024 (+29 days)Oct 29, 2024 10-Q (+29 days)
Q2 FY2024Jun 30, 2024Jul 30, 2024 (+30 days)Jul 30, 2024 10-Q (+30 days)
Q1 FY2024Mar 31, 2024May 1, 2024 (+31 days)May 1, 2024 10-Q (+31 days)
Q4 FY2023Dec 31, 2023Feb 27, 2024 (+58 days)Feb 27, 2024 10-K (+58 days)

Source: SEC EDGAR filing history. Release dates are the dates the earnings release was furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K (Item 2.02), which is normally the day results are announced. For a quarter whose 10-Q or 10-K isn’t filed yet, the date is the latest Item 2.02 8-K since the previous report, which may be a preliminary or other results-related update. Fiscal years are labeled by the calendar year in which they end.

06

Flagship products & servicesSite analysis

  • Modules

    Series 6 Plus

    CdTe thin film module, a glass laminate about 4ft x 6ft.

  • Modules

    Series 7

    Larger form-factor CdTe module with a steel back rail mounting structure that reduces installation time; production began in 2023 in Ohio and India.

From the Form 10-K, FY2025.

U.S., worldwide and country/regional share of flagship products/services

Only shares the company itself states (in its filings or press releases, sometimes citing a research firm) are shown. Scope and timing vary by figure — treat these as approximate.

  • CdTe thin film PV modules

    PV solar modules

    U.S. share

    —

    Not disclosed

    Worldwide share

    World’s largest thin film module maker

    Company-disclosed

    “We are the world’s largest thin film PV solar module manufacturer and the largest PV solar module manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere.”

    Western Hemisphere

    Largest PV module maker

    Company-disclosed

    Same 10-K statement.

Sources:

Rank statements from the 10-K; no percentage share is given.

07

Recent strategic focusSite analysis

Recent developments.

  1. 2025 results

    Net sales $5,219M versus $4,206M (+24%); operating income $1,597M; net income $1,528M.

    Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  2. Q3 2026

    Net sales $1.23B (−23%) on lower third-party module volume, but net income rose to $571M ($5.30 per share, +25%). Net cash fell to $1.5B from $2.4B at year-end on working capital and U.S. capex. The board authorized a $500M share repurchase program.

    Source: Q3 2026 earnings release

  3. Financing

    Entered a new revolving credit and guaranty agreement with JPMorgan Chase as agent on February 13, 2026, replacing the 2023 facility.

    Source: Form 8-K (2026-02-19) — Item 1.01 revolving credit and guaranty agreement

Capex ÷ D&A (FY2025)

1.64x

Well above depreciation — expansion-stage investment

formulacapital expenditures ÷ depreciation & amortization

e.g.$870M ÷ $529M = 1.64x

termsCapital expenditures (capex) · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)

R&D-to-revenue ratio (FY2025)

4.5%

formularesearch & development expense ÷ revenue × 100

e.g.$233M ÷ $5,219M × 100 = 4.5%

termsResearch & development (R&D) · Revenue (net sales)

M&A spend (6-year total)

$36M

Latest year: $0

Cash-flow-statement spending on acquisitions, net of cash acquired

Where the money goes, over time

Unit: $M. Capex went from $417M in FY2020 to $870M in FY2025

  • Capex
  • R&D
  • M&A spend

formulacapital expenditures ÷ depreciation & amortization

termsCapital expenditures (capex) · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

08

Key figures at a glanceFrom SEC data

FY2020–FY2025, 6 years.

Revenue (FY2025)

$5.22B

As reported in the 10-K

Revenue CAGR (5 years)

+14.0%▲favorable

formula(last-period revenue ÷ first-period revenue) ^ (1 ÷ years) − 1

e.g.($5,219M ÷ $2,711M) ^ (1÷5) − 1 = 14.0%

termsCAGR · ^ (exponent) · Revenue (net sales)

Operating margin (FY2025)

30.6%▲favorable

+18.9pt vs. 5 years ago

formulaoperating income ÷ revenue × 100

e.g.$1,597M ÷ $5,219M × 100 = 30.6%

termsOperating income · Revenue (net sales)

ROE (FY2025)

17.4%▲favorable

6-year average: 10.5%

As reported in the 10-K

P/B (FY2025 end)

2.94x

formulafiscal year-end closing price ÷ book value per share

e.g.$261.23 ÷ $88.88 = 2.94x

termsP/B · BVPS

Period-end (fiscal year-end) value, not today's P/B

EV/EBITDA (FY2025 end)

12.1x

formula(market cap + interest-bearing debt − cash and equivalents) ÷ (operating income + depreciation & amortization)

e.g.($28,033M + $499M − $2,804M) ÷ ($1,597M + $529M) = 12.1x

termsEV/EBITDA · Market capitalization · Interest-bearing debt · EBITDA · Depreciation & amortization (D&A)

Period-end (fiscal year-end) value, not today's multiple

  • ▲

    Revenue grew +14.0% a year over 5 years (strong growth)

    From $2.71B in FY2020 to $5.22B in FY2025. The annualized rate (CAGR) makes it possible to compare growth pace across companies of different sizes.

  • ▲

    Operating margin improved: 11.7% → 30.6%

    How much operating profit is left per $100 of revenue. It moved +18.9 points over 5 years — pricing power, cost control, and product mix all show up here.

  • ▲

    Equity ratio is 71.6% (a high level of financial stability)

    The share of total assets funded by equity rather than debt. 50%+ is often read as low bankruptcy risk, though the right level varies by industry (real estate and leasing run lower, for instance).

  • ▼

    Free cash flow was positive in 1 of 6 years

    Operating cash flow minus capital expenditures: the cash left over after funding the business’s own investment, available for dividends, buybacks, acquisitions, or debt paydown. A negative year can mean heavy investment, or weak core earnings — worth distinguishing.

  • ▲

    ROE averaged 10.5% over 6 years (latest: 17.4%)

    How much profit was generated on shareholders’ equity. Roughly 10%+ is often cited as solid for a U.S. company, though this varies a lot by industry and capital intensity.

09

Business modelSite analysis

Designs, manufactures and sells CdTe solar modules, mostly to utility-scale developers and power producers under multi-year supply contracts priced per watt.

How money and goods flow at First Solar
  1. 01 what it draws on

    Inputs & resources

    • About 7,900 associates
    • Factories in the U.S., India, Malaysia and Vietnam
    • R&D labs in California and Ohio
  2. 02 what it does

    Activities

    • CdTe thin film module manufacturing (Series 6 Plus, Series 7)
    • Technology R&D
    • Module collection and recycling
  3. 03 who it serves

    Customers

    • Utility-scale project developers and owners (e.g., Silicon Ranch, NextEra Energy)
    • Customers in India
  4. 04 how money comes in

    How it earns

    • Module sales per watt
    • Net sales $5,219M (2025)
    • Sale of Section 45X tax credits

How the business makes money

  • More than 93 GW of modules sold worldwide.
  • Contracted backlog of 50.1 GW ($15.0B) at December 31, 2025; 44.0 GW ($13.5B) at September 30, 2026.
  • Two customers (Silicon Ranch and NextEra Energy) each accounted for 10% or more of 2025 modules net sales.

Government & regulation around the business

Non-market factors from the company’s filings: what governments and regulators fund, buy, set, approve or restrict, and which part of the flow above each one touches.

First Solar’s U.S. business is built around federal clean-energy tax credits and trade rules favoring domestic modules.

  • Government funding & tax credits

    Section 45X manufacturing credits

    Sold $701.9M of 2025 Section 45X tax credits for $668.1M in cash, and another $699.7M under agreements in October 2025; IRA incentives (as amended by the 2025 OBBBA) support module makers and developers.

    Supports the businessTouches: Inputs & resources · How it earns

    Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  • Trade & export rules

    Domestic-content and foreign-entity rules

    U.S. module prices have stayed stable partly because tax-credit rules, including foreign-entity limits, raise demand for domestically made modules.

    Supports the businessTouches: Customers · How it earns

    Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  • Political engagement

    Advocacy on trade and industrial policy

    A named executive directs the company’s advocacy strategy on trade and industrial policy.

    Supports the businessTouches: Activities

    Source: Form 10-K (FY2025)

Revenue by segment (FY2025)

Unit: $M — bar length = revenue, (%) = share of total company revenue

  • Modules

    5,219 (100%)

Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) Total net sales; the modules business is First Solar’s core business.

10

Where it earnsSite analysis

Many U.S.-listed companies earn most of their revenue outside the U.S. — this breaks down revenue by country/region so it's clear where the business actually makes its money.

Largest market (FY2025)

United States — 96% of revenue

Revenue by country / region (FY2025)

Unit: $M — bar length = revenue, (%) = share of total company revenue

  • United States

    4,995 (96%)
  • India

    196 (4%)
  • France

    6 (0%)
  • All other foreign countries

    23 (0%)

Source: Form 10-K (FY2025) Net sales by country of the customer location.

11

Contract structureSite analysisShow

Short-term or spot sales carry different earnings quality than long-term or auto-renewing contracts — this shows how the company actually contracts with its customers.

12

Customers & suppliersSite analysis

Who the company sells to and buys from. Companies rarely name either, so named counterparties come only from the company's own filings and press releases; otherwise this lists the concentration figures the 10-K discloses.

Customers

Utility-scale developers and power producers in the U.S. and India.

Named by the company

Silicon Ranch Corporation and NextEra Energy each accounted for 10% or more of 2025 modules net sales.

Suppliers

Suppliers of raw materials and components for module manufacturing.

Named by the company

No single supplier is named as material.

13

Competitors & peersSite analysis

Competitors the 10-K names, and the peer group the company itself chose in its proxy statement. Nothing here is this site's own pick.

The 10-K says competition among module makers is mainly on price per watt, against conventional crystalline silicon manufacturers and new entrants, without naming specific competitors.

Competitors named in the 10-K

No competitor is named in the 10-K.

Peer group the company chose

2025 compensation peer group (27 companies), from the proxy statement. Peers are companies the board considers comparable — for example when setting executive pay — not necessarily direct competitors.

Peer group with median revenue of about $5.0 billion; SunPower was removed after its August 2024 bankruptcy, and Nextracker is now Nextpower.

Source: Proxy statement (2026)

Company names link to this site’s analysis where one exists; “site ↗” opens the company’s own website.

14

Six years of financialsFrom SEC data

Each chart's axis holds a single unit (never mixing dollars, %, and $/share). The table's per-period header links to the filing the numbers came from.

Revenue over time

Unit: $M

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Profit over time (operating → net)

Unit: $M

  • Operating income
  • Pretax income
  • Net income

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Margins over time

Unit: %

  • Operating margin
  • Net margin

formulaoperating income ÷ revenue × 100

termsOperating income · Revenue (net sales)

formulanet income attributable to the company ÷ revenue × 100

termsNet income (attributable to the company)

Cash flow over time

Unit: $M (below zero = cash went out)

  • Operating CF
  • Investing CF
  • Free CF

formulacash flow from operations − capital expenditures

termsFree cash flow (FCF) · Cash flow from operations (operating CF) · Capital expenditures (capex)

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Financial stability & capital efficiency

Unit: %

  • Equity ratio
  • ROE

formulatotal equity ÷ total assets × 100 (as reported in the 10-K)

termsStockholders’ equity · Total assets

formulanet income ÷ average equity (beginning + ending, ÷2) × 100 (as reported in the 10-K)

termsNet income (attributable to the company) · Stockholders’ equity

Earnings per share (EPS) and dividend per share

Unit: $

  • EPS

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Line itemFY202010-K on EDGAR ↗FY202110-K on EDGAR ↗FY202210-K on EDGAR ↗FY202310-K on EDGAR ↗FY202410-K on EDGAR ↗FY202510-K on EDGAR ↗
Income statement ($M)
Revenue2,7112,9232,6193,3194,2065,219
Operating income317587-278571,3941,597
Pretax income29357298911,4061,581
Net income (attributable)398469-448311,2921,528
Revenue growthcalc(this year’s revenue − last year’s revenue) ÷ last year’s revenue × 100—7.8%-10.4%26.7%26.7%24.1%
Operating margincalcoperating income ÷ revenue × 10011.7%20.1%-1.0%25.8%33.2%30.6%
Net margincalcnet income attributable to the company ÷ revenue × 10014.7%16.0%-1.7%25.0%30.7%29.3%
Balance sheet ($M)
Total assets7,1097,4148,25110,36512,12413,321
Total equity5,5215,9605,8366,6877,9789,538
Interest-bearing debtSum of short- and long-term borrowings, notes/bonds payable287247185560610499
Equity ratio77.7%80.4%70.7%64.5%65.8%71.6%
ROE7.2%8.2%-0.7%13.3%17.6%17.4%
Cash flow ($M)
Operating CF372388736021,2182,057
Investing CF-131-99-1,193-473-1,563-765
Financing CF-834130933725-119
Free cash flowcalccash flow from operations − capital expenditures-380-303-30-785-3081,187
Cash and equivalents1,2271,4511,4811,9471,6212,804
Per share & other
EPS ($)3.734.38-0.417.7412.0214.21
BVPS ($)52.0956.0554.7462.5974.5188.88
P/E (x)26.519.9—22.314.718.4
EV/EBITDA (x)calc(market cap + interest-bearing debt − cash and equivalents) ÷ (operating income + depreciation & amortization)17.39.560.514.69.812.1
P/B (x)calcfiscal year-end closing price ÷ book value per share1.901.562.742.752.372.94

P/B and EV/EBITDA use each period’s period-end (fiscal year-end) figures, not the current share price. Figures without a "calc" tag are as reported in the Form 10-K (the consolidated financial statements and, for older years, earlier 10-Ks), pulled automatically from SEC EDGAR. Where a later filing restated a prior period, the restated figure is used.

Last 8 quarters

Three-month figures from 10-Q filings. Change is versus the same quarter a year earlier. Newest quarter on top.

Quarter endedRevenueOperating incomeNet incomeDiluted EPS
2026-09-30$1.23B-22.8%$546M+17.2%$571M+25.2%$5.30
2026-06-30$1.06B-3.7%$450M+24.6%$423M+23.6%$3.92
2026-03-31$1.04B+23.6%$345M+56.1%$347M+65.4%$3.22
2025-12-31 †$1.68B+11.1%$548M+20.0%$521M+32.5%—
2025-09-30$1.59B$466M$456M$4.24
2025-06-30$1.1B$362M$342M$3.18
2025-03-31$845M$221M$210M$1.95
2024-12-31 †$1.51B$457M$393M—

† Fourth quarter = the 10-K’s annual figure minus the first three quarters; quarterly EPS isn’t derived this way because share counts change during the year.

15

Is ROIC above WACC?From SEC data

ROIC (the return on money invested in the business) above WACC (the cost of raising that money) means the company is creating value. WACC is an estimate, so its assumptions can be adjusted below.

ROIC (FY2025)

16.1%

formulaoperating income × (1 − tax rate) ÷ invested capital × 100 *invested capital = interest-bearing debt + total equity (average of beginning/ending)

e.g.$1,597M × (1 − 6%) ÷ $9,312M × 100 = 16.1%

termsOperating income · Effective tax rate · Invested capital · Interest-bearing debt · Total equity

WACC (this site’s estimate)

10.90%

formulacost of equity × equity weight + cost of debt × (1 − tax rate) × debt weight

e.g.Equity weight: $28.03B ÷ ($28.03B + $499M) = 98.3%

e.g.Debt weight: $499M ÷ ($28.03B + $499M) = 1.7%

e.g.WACC: 10.9% × 98.3% + 8.9% × (1 − 6%) × 1.7% = 10.90%

termsCost of equity · Equity weight (E/(D+E)) · Cost of debt · (1 − tax rate) · Debt weight (D/(D+E)) · Market capitalization

ROIC − WACC

+5.2pt▲favorable

Earning more than the cost of capital (ROIC > WACC in 3 of 6 years)

formulaROIC − WACC (positive means the business earns more than its cost of capital)

termsROIC · WACC

How firm is this? With the equity risk premium ±1 point and beta ±0.2, WACC runs 8.9%–13.2% and ROIC − WACC runs +2.9 to +7.2 points. The sign holds across this range. This describes the latest year and does not predict future value creation.

WACC 10.90% is this site’s estimate under the assumptions below (not a figure the company has published)

Risk-free rate
4.95% (10-year Treasury, 2026-11-03)
β
1.09 (price-derived adjusted beta, but correlation with the market is low (R² 0.08), so reliability is limited)
Equity risk premium
5.5%
Cost of equity
10.95%
Cost of debt
8.85%
Tax rate
6% (effective rate, FY2023–FY2025)
Capital structure (equity : debt)
98% : 2%
→ Change assumptions and recalculate

ROIC over time, vs. WACC

Unit: % — bars = each period's ROIC, horizontal line = latest WACC. Bars above the line are green, below are red

  • ROIC (above WACC)
  • ROIC (below WACC)
  • WACC 10.90%

formulaoperating income × (1 − tax rate) ÷ invested capital × 100 *invested capital = interest-bearing debt + total equity (average of beginning/ending)

termsOperating income · Effective tax rate · Invested capital · Interest-bearing debt · Total equity

formulacost of equity × equity weight + cost of debt × (1 − tax rate) × debt weight

termsCost of equity · Equity weight (E/(D+E)) · Cost of debt · (1 − tax rate) · Debt weight (D/(D+E)) · Market capitalization

Try different WACC assumptions

β and the equity risk premium are estimates with a real range of plausible values — move the sliders to check whether ROIC > WACC still holds. The risk-free rate starts at the 10-year Treasury yield on 2026-11-03 (U.S. Treasury).

Initial β: 1.09 (price-derived adjusted beta. Raw β 1.13, R² 0.08, 130 weeks)

formula0.67 × β + 0.33 (β = the slope of weekly stock returns regressed on weekly market returns)

e.g.0.67 × 1.133 + 0.33 = 1.089

termsβ (beta)

Period 2024-05-10–2026-11-04, using S&P 500 ETF (SPY) as the market proxy. Source: Yahoo Finance price history.

Cost of equity10.95%

formularisk-free rate + β × equity risk premium

e.g.5.0% + 1.09 × 5.5% = 10.9%

termsCAPM · Risk-free rate · β (beta) · Equity risk premium (market risk premium)

Market value of equity$28.03B

formulafiscal year-end closing price × shares outstanding (= market cap)

termsMarket capitalization · Market value of equity

Interest-bearing debt$499M
Cost of debt8.85%

formulainterest expense ÷ interest-bearing debt × 100 (clamped to 0–10%; falls back to the risk-free rate if there’s no debt)

termsInterest-bearing debt · Risk-free rate

Capital structure (equity weight : debt weight)98% : 2%

16

What the price implies (DCF)From SEC data

A company's value can be written as its free cash flow divided by (cost of capital − perpetual growth). Working that backwards from the market's valuation shows how much growth the share price assumed — compared here with the company's actual past growth.

Growth the price implies (price on 2026-11-04)

5.0%

Perpetual FCF growth: g = r − FCF ÷ EV = 10.9% − 5.9%

Past FCF growth (FY2020–FY2025)

—

Not computable (FCF not positive in both years)

Past revenue growth (FY2020–FY2025)

+14.0%

Compound annual rate, 5 years

Inputs (FY2025): free cash flow $1.19B (operating CF − capex); enterprise value $19.99B = market cap $22.35B (latest close, 2026-11-04) + debt $499M − cash and short-term investments $2.86B; r = WACC of 10.9% using this page’s default assumptions (β 1.09, risk-free 5.0%, market premium 5.5%).

Three WACC scenarios

The same calculation under cautious, base and optimistic cost-of-capital assumptions (risk-free rate fixed at the 10-year Treasury yield). Pick one to load it into the sliders below.

Try your own assumptions

V = FCF ÷ (r − g). It starts at the implied growth rate, where the theoretical value equals today’s enterprise value.

Theoretical enterprise value

$20.12B

FCF $1.19B ÷ (10.9% − 5.0%)

Theoretical ÷ actual enterprise value

1.01x

Above 1x: these assumptions value the business above the market did

How sensitive the answer is

Theoretical ÷ actual enterprise value for each combination of r and g.

g \ r8.9%9.9%10.9%11.9%12.9%
0%0.67x0.60x0.54x0.50x0.46x
2%0.86x0.75x0.67x0.60x0.54x
4%1.21x1.01x0.86x0.75x0.67x
6%2.05x1.52x1.21x1.01x0.86x
8%6.60x3.13x2.05x1.52x1.21x

A simplified model for seeing what the market price assumes, not a forecast or a target price. It treats free cash flow as growing at one constant rate forever; the result swings widely with small changes in r and g, and is undefined when g reaches r. Free cash flow here is operating cash flow minus capex, which is after interest — a full DCF of enterprise value would use cash flow before interest. Market cap uses the latest close (2026-11-04) × shares at fiscal year-end; free cash flow and WACC inputs are from the latest fiscal year.

17

Earnings qualityFrom SEC dataShow

The same reported profit can mean different things depending on whether it's backed by cash, driven by the core business, or the result of a one-off item. Four checks below.

  • !

    Operating CF ÷ net income: averages 0.72x

    Cash coming in trails reported profit. Worth checking for rising receivables/inventory or one-off gains.

  • ✓

    Accrual ratio (latest): -4.2%

    A small share of profit rests on accounting estimates.

  • ✓

    Core-earnings share (operating income ÷ pretax income): 101%

    Most profit comes from core operations.

  • !

    Days sales outstanding: 36 → 89 days

    Receivables are growing faster than revenue — worth checking for looser collection terms or channel stuffing.

Operating CF vs. net income

Unit: $M — operating CF above net income means profit is backed by cash

  • Operating CF
  • Net income

formulacash flow from operations ÷ net income attributable to the company

termsCash flow from operations (operating CF) · Net income (attributable to the company)

formula(net income − operating CF) ÷ average total assets × 100

termsNet income (attributable to the company) · Cash flow from operations (operating CF) · Total assets

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Profit bridge (FY2025)

Unit: $M — what moved profit from operating income to net income

  • Profit (each stage)
  • Pushed profit up
  • Pushed profit down

formulaoperating income ÷ income before income taxes × 100

termsOperating income · Income before income taxes (pretax income)

Source: each period's Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Latest: filed 2026-02-24

Receivables & inventory days

Unit: days — days grow when receivables or inventory build up faster than sales

  • Days sales outstanding
  • Days inventory outstanding

formulaaverage receivables (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ revenue × 365

termsAccounts receivable · Revenue (net sales)

formulaaverage inventory (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ cost of revenue × 365

termsInventory · Cost of revenue (COGS)

Worked examples (latest period)

formulacash flow from operations ÷ net income attributable to the company

e.g.$2,057M ÷ $1,528M = 1.35x

termsCash flow from operations (operating CF) · Net income (attributable to the company)

formulaoperating income ÷ income before income taxes × 100

e.g.$1,597M ÷ $1,581M × 100 = 101%

termsOperating income · Income before income taxes (pretax income)

formulaaverage receivables (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ revenue × 365

e.g.($1,261M + $1,294M) ÷ 2 ÷ $5,219M × 365 = 89 days

termsAccounts receivable · Revenue (net sales)

formulaaverage inventory (opening + closing ÷ 2) ÷ cost of revenue × 365

e.g.($1,084M + $737M) ÷ 2 ÷ $3,099M × 365 = 107 days

termsInventory · Cost of revenue (COGS)

18

Who holds the sharesFrom SEC dataShow

How much of the stock large institutional investors report owning on SEC Form 13F, how much the directors and executive officers hold (and how much of the vote they control), and roughly how much is left for individual investors. Shown next to beta so the holder mix can be read alongside how much the stock swings.

Institutions, insiders and everyone else, 13F holdings as of 2026-06-30

“Everyone else” is what remains after shares reported on Form 13F and shares held by directors and executive officers: mostly individual investors, plus non-insider families or foundations and smaller or foreign institutions. The figures have different dates and 13F reports count some shares twice — read it as an approximate split.

Held by 13F filers
93.3%
Directors & officers (shares)
<1%
Everyone else (est.)
6.7%

individuals and other non-13F holders

Directors & officers (voting power)
<1%

no separate voting figure; shown as shares

Institutional-ownership rank
146 of 416

1 = most institutional; 35% of covered companies have more

Beta (adjusted)
1.09

above 1 = swings more than the market

  • 100.3M shares reported by 1,008 13F filers ÷ 107.5M shares outstanding on 2026-07-24. Option positions are excluded.
  • Directors and executive officers as a group, from the proxy statement’s beneficial-ownership table; includes shares they can acquire within 60 days.
  • A large “everyone else” share can still reflect a family, trust or foundation stake held outside the board; check the proxy statement’s 5% holders.

Sources: SEC Form 13F data set (holdings as of 2026-06-30) · Form DEF 14A filed 2026-04-02 (beneficial ownership table) · Form 10-Q cover page (shares outstanding as of 2026-07-24)

19

Strengths & weaknessesSite analysis

Strengths

  1. 1. Non-Chinese supply chain

    Modules are produced in a fully integrated process that does not rely on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains.

    Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  2. 2. Large contracted backlog

    Contracts for the future sale of 44.0 GW of modules for $13.5 billion at September 30, 2026, recognized through 2030.

    Evidence: Form 10-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30)

  3. 3. U.S. manufacturing incentives

    Earns Section 45X advanced manufacturing production credits on U.S.-made modules and sold $600 million of them under transfer agreements in October 2025.

    Evidence: Form 8-K (2025-10-21) — Item 8.01 tax credit transfer agreements

  4. 4. Policy-backed U.S. manufacturing

    Section 45X credit sales brought $668.1M of cash in 2025.

    Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)

Weaknesses

  1. 1. Customer concentration

    Two customers each accounted for 10% or more of 2025 net sales (11% and 10%).

    Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  2. 2. Module manufacturing issue

    Certain Series 7 modules made in 2023–2024 may experience premature power loss; estimated future losses of $40–65 million with a $46 million warranty liability at September 30, 2026.

    Evidence: Form 10-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30)

20

What draws investors to itSite analysis

Why the stock can look attractive to investors — each point paired with what has to hold for it to stay true, and the opposing view. This is this site's analysis, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

P/E (FY2025)

18.4x

Price at fiscal year-end ÷ diluted EPS

Dividend yield (FY2025)

—

Dividends per share ÷ fiscal year-end price

Payout ratio (FY2025)

—

Dividends per share ÷ diluted EPS

FCF yield (FY2025)

4.2%

(Operating CF − capex) ÷ market cap

  1. 1. U.S.-made solar supply

    The only U.S.-headquartered company among the world’s largest solar manufacturers, with a supply chain independent of Chinese crystalline silicon.

    What has to hold
    Policy keeps favoring domestic content.
    The other side
    Incentive changes.

    Evidence: Form 10-K (FY2025)

  2. 2. Visible revenue

    $13.5B of contracted sales through 2030 at September 30, 2026.

    What has to hold
    Customers keep their contracts.
    The other side
    Terminations cut backlog by 6.6 GW in 2025.

    Evidence: Form 10-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30)

First Solar pays no dividend. Net income includes Section 45X credits recorded as a reduction of cost of sales.

21

ResilienceSite analysisShow

How well the company could absorb a bad year: its financial buffer, how its revenue and profit held up in the worst year on record, and what the 10-K says about the business's exposure to shocks. Figures and filing statements only — no overall rating.

1. Financial buffer (FY2025)

Cash & short-term investments ÷ debt due within a year

13.2x

$2.86B vs. $216M

Interest coverage (operating income ÷ interest expense)

36.2x

$1.6B vs. $44M

Free cash flow ÷ dividends paid

—

2. Worst year in the record, and the recovery

FigureWorst year-over-year changeBack to the prior level?
Revenue-10.4% in FY2022 ($2.92B → $2.62B)Yes, by FY2023
Operating income-104.6% in FY2022 ($587M → −$27M)Yes, by FY2023

Covers only the 6 fiscal years on record (FY2020–FY2025), which may not include a full recession — the worst year here isn’t necessarily how the company would fare in a severe downturn.

3. Business resilience (from the 10-K)

  • Advance payments and backlog

    Deferred revenue (customer advances) was about $1.6B at September 30, 2026, and contracted sales extend through 2030.

    Source: Form 10-Q (quarter ended 2026-09-30)

23

Risks (including geopolitical)Site analysis

Starting from the 10-K's Risk Factors section, organized by category — geopolitical, currency, raw materials, regulatory, disaster, and more — with impact and likelihood assessed by this site.

Risk map

Vertical = impact on results, horizontal = likelihood. Upper right = most severe. Numbers match the list below (placement is this site’s own assessment).

Impact
High
1
2
Med
34
5
Low
LowMedHigh

Likelihood →

"Company disclosure" vs. "this site’s assessment"

The description and mitigation for each risk are this site’s summary of the 10-K’s "Risk Factors" section. Impact and likelihood are this site’s own assessment, not the company’s — where the company discloses its own likelihood assessment, that is noted in the summary.

Impact is judged from how large the affected business is relative to total revenue/profit, and from the risk’s track record of moving results in the past. Likelihood is judged from the filing’s wording and the current business environment (already occurring, or recurring). See the rating criteria.

  1. 1Law & regulation

    Changes to incentives

    Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
    Reduction or removal of incentives such as Section 45X, the ITC and PTC — as with the accelerated termination of certain credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill of July 4, 2025 — could reduce manufacturing benefits and demand.
    Company’s stated mitigation
    Not stated in the filings.
    This site’s assessment
    Impact High / Likelihood Med
  2. 2Competition & technology shift

    Price competition and overcapacity

    Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
    The principal method of competition is price per watt; manufacturers, particularly in China, have significant excess production capacity.
    Company’s stated mitigation
    Not stated in the filings.
    This site’s assessment
    Impact High / Likelihood High
  3. 3Geopolitics & supply chain

    Trade policy and international plants

    Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
    Geopolitical developments including trade policies or tariffs may lead to reducing, pausing or ceasing operations at international facilities.
    Company’s stated mitigation
    Not stated in the filings.
    This site’s assessment
    Impact Med / Likelihood Med
  4. 4Customer/supplier concentration

    Large customers

    Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
    A few large customers account for a significant share of net sales; contract terminations cut backlog by 6.6 GW in 2025.
    Company’s stated mitigation
    Not stated in the filings.
    This site’s assessment
    Impact Med / Likelihood Med
  5. 5Law & regulation

    Litigation and SEC inquiry

    Company disclosure (summarized from the 10-K)
    A securities class action filed June 2026 and SEC subpoenas on India operations are pending.
    Company’s stated mitigation
    Not stated in the filings.
    This site’s assessment
    Impact Med / Likelihood High

24

What changed in the risk factorsFrom SEC data

Paragraphs in the latest 10-K's Risk Factors that have little overlap with the year before, and paragraphs that were dropped.

New or substantially reworded (8)

  • Application of trade laws may also adversely impact, either directly or indirectly, our operating results; Read more

    for example, by impacting our customers’ project costs, profitability, and their demand for our modules; or by impacting our own costs or disrupting our manufacturing or supply chains, and consequently negatively impacting demand and/or price levels for our solar modules, reducing our net sales, or affecting potential profitability of fulfilling customer contracts. We are therefore potentially subject to various risks, which include the following:

  • • any tariffs that reduce the profitability of contracts, whereby the cost of tariffs exceeds the amount able to be, or willing to be, absorbed by either us or the customer under the provisions of the contract and may lead to us or the customer cancelling such contract, potentially resulting in the reduction of future revenue, the loss of the contractual right to a termination payment from the customer, and potentially the required return of a previously received customer down payment;

  • • any reciprocal or other tariffs may place burdens on our customers’ supply chains exclusive of module import costs, including through increased costs of trackers, inverters, transformers, and other imported equipment, which are often heavily dependent on Chinese supply chains. These and other costs could result in an inability for certain projects to generate profitable returns, and may lead to the delay or abandonment of such projects, thereby reducing or removing demand for currently contracted PV module sales; and

  • • any reduction in our ability to profitably import modules from our international manufacturing locations as a result of tariffs or other trade laws could lead to us significantly reducing capacity utilization at certain international manufacturing facilities. Such underutilization may lead to potential impairment of certain international equipment and facilities and may also increase our selling costs and reduce our competitiveness in the market, thereby reducing demand for our modules.

  • In some instances, the application of trade laws is currently beneficial to us, and changes in their application could have an adverse impact. Read more

    The overall impact of trade laws on our business depends on multiple factors, including their duration, their scope and potential expansion thereof, enforcement, retaliatory measures by impacted exporting countries, inflationary effects and broader macroeconomic responses, changes to consumer purchasing behavior, and the effectiveness of our responses in managing these impacts. Recent developments include the following:

  • • United States — IEEPA Tariffs . In 2025, the U.S. President imposed a series of tariffs on nearly all U.S. Read more

    trading partners pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (“IEEPA”). As it pertains to the countries where we manufacture solar modules, IEEPA tariffs applied to Vietnam (20%), India (25%), and Malaysia (19%). In August 2025, the U.S. President had imposed an additional 25% tariff

  • on India over its purchases of Russian oil, resulting in an overall rate of 50%. Read more

    On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the IEEPA tariffs unlawful. President Trump responded immediately by revoking the IEEPA tariff actions and imposing new global tariffs pursuant to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 122”), which provides for tariffs up to 15% for a period of no more than 150 days. The additional, higher tariffs on imports from these countries has increased the costs of our solar modules manufactured in these countries with respect to our U.S. market. Further, such circumstances have and may continue to impact our ability to sell certain modules into the United States and therefore have and may continue to also impact the operational status of certain of our international manufacturing facilities. As a result, our operating results have and may continue to be…

  • • United States — Port Fees on Certain Chinese Vessel Operators and Chinese Vessel Owners. Read more

    On April 17, 2025, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published a notice of final action based on an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance. The action imposes new port fees on Chinese vessel operators and/or Chinese vessel owners as well as on non-Chinese operators of Chinese-origin vessels beginning on October 14, 2025. The level of fees is on a sliding scale per net ton or, in the case of non-Chinese operators, the higher of a net ton or container-based fee. Effective November 10, 2025, however, the United States suspended implementation of such action for one year. Once implemented, such fees may impact our logistics services and consequently impact our profitability and results…

No longer in the text (2)

  • • United States — Tariffs on Certain Imported Crystalline Silicon PV Cells and Modules . Read more

    The United States currently imposes different types of tariffs and/or other trade remedies on certain imported crystalline silicon PV cells and modules from various countries. In February 2022, the previous U.S. President proclaimed a four-year extension of a global safeguard measure imposed pursuant to Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 that provides for tariffs on imported crystalline silicon solar modules and a tariff-rate quota on imported crystalline silicon solar cells. Thin film solar cell products, such as our CdTe technology, are specifically excluded from the tariffs. The extension measure’s tariff rate was originally set at 14.75%, with annual reductions of 0.25 percentage points over the remainder of its four-year term. The current rate is 14.25%. The extension measure also provides an…

  • • United States — Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Certain Imported Aluminum Extrusions. Read more

    In October 2023, a coalition of U.S. aluminum extruders and a labor union filed AD/CVD petitions with the USDOC and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“USITC”) related to aluminum extrusions from 15 countries. We import certain items that are within the scope of the investigations. The USDOC issued preliminary and final antidumping determinations in May and September 2024, respectively, both of which found that our Malaysian supplier of aluminum extrusions was not dumping. The USITC issued a negative preliminary determination on the Dominican Republic in November 2023 and negative final determinations on the remaining 14 countries in October 2024, terminating the investigations with no application of AD/CVD. The Petitioners appealed the USITC’s negative determinations. Our operating…

1 more paragraphs differ; the filings below have the full text.

Matched automatically, quoted as filed, and may include rewording of an existing risk. Compares Item 1A of the 10-K filed Feb 24, 2026 ↗ with the 10-K filed Feb 25, 2025 ↗.

25

What to watch going forwardSite analysis

  • Contracted backlog and new bookings (44.0 GW at September 30, 2026, down from 50.1 GW at year-end 2025).
  • U.S. incentive policy (Section 45X) and tariffs.
  • South Carolina facility start-up (first phase expected in the second half of 2026).
  • Series 7 warranty costs and the securities class action.
  • Patent suits over TOPCon products (JinkoSolar, Mundra, Canadian Solar).

26

Source documentsShow

This page's financial figures come from the Form 10-Ks listed below. Check the original filings for full detail.

Last updated

Analysis last edited: October 31, 2026 · Financial data fetched: October 24, 2026 15:13 (SEC EDGAR) · Source 10-K filed: February 24, 2026

Built on10-K FY2025 · filed 2026-02-24Proxy statement (2026)

Next update expectedAfter FY2026’s 10-K is filed (roughly 60–90 days after fiscal year end (sooner for larger filers)), financials and analysis will be refreshed.

This page is this site’s own analysis based on public information, and does not represent First Solar’s views. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security, and this site does not guarantee the accuracy of any figure or statement here. Always verify against the original source documents before making an investment decision.