In the latest trading session, First Solar (FSLR) closed at $223.97, marking a -3.49% move from the previous day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.14%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.8%.
Shares of the largest U.S. solar company witnessed a loss of 27.08% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Oils-Energy sector with its loss of 7.07%, and the S&P 500's loss of 1.43%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of First Solar in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is expected to report EPS of $2.85, down 10.38% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $1.06 billion, down 3.31% from the prior-year quarter.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $17.61 per share and a revenue of $5.1 billion, indicating changes of +23.93% and -2.21%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for First Solar. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. At present, First Solar boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Looking at its valuation, First Solar is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 13.18. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 22.06, which means First Solar is trading at a discount to the group.
It is also worth noting that FSLR currently has a PEG ratio of 0.51. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Solar industry stood at 0.97 at the close of the market yesterday.
The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 88, which puts it in the top 36% of all 250+ industries.
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
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).