First Solar Shares Drop 2.2% with Forward P/E at 10.3
First Solar shares fell 2.21%, underperforming a 0.28% S&P 500 drop and lagging a 13.06% sector gain over recent sessions. Investors await February 24 earnings, expecting EPS of $5.22 (+43%) on $1.57 B revenue as shares trade at a forward P/E of 10.3.
1. Trading Performance
In the latest session, First Solar shares declined 2.21%, underperforming the S&P 500’s 0.28% loss, the Dow’s 0.54% slide and the Nasdaq’s 0.31% retreat. Over prior sessions, shares had slipped 2.11%, contrasting with a 13.06% gain in the Oils-Energy sector.
2. Earnings Forecast
First Solar is set to report fourth-quarter results on February 24, with analysts projecting EPS of $5.22, up 43% year-over-year, and revenue of $1.57 billion, a 3.9% increase compared to the prior-year quarter.
3. Valuation Metrics
The shares trade at a forward price/earnings ratio of 10.27, roughly half the industry average of 20.33, and a PEG ratio of 0.31 versus an industry norm of 0.73, highlighting a valuation discount relative to peers.
4. Analyst and Industry Rank
First Solar holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) after a 0.53% downward revision in EPS estimates over the past 30 days. Its Solar industry sits in the top 34% of over 250 industries with a Zacks Industry Rank of 82.