Stock fact sheet · data as of
First Solar, Inc. (FSLR): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol FSLR · Energy · Solar · United States · Growth
Is FSLR undervalued?
At 194.51 (close of 5 Nov 2026), FSLR trades 46% below the GLS average fair value of 363.21. That average comes from 7 models run on the latest filings, and 4 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns First Solar, Inc. the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
There is a wide gap between Payback Time (85.77) and GLS Growth (1,060.17). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
Ranked against every other company we cover, FSLR is clearly faster-growing than it is cheap, so the nightly engine files it under Growth (value score 61, growth score 83, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for FSLR
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | 198.62 | +2% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 654.30 | +236% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 260.99 | +34% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 1,060.17 | +445% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 90.19 | -54% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 85.77 | -56% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 192.42 | -1% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 20.89 | -89% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 265.06 | +36% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
First Solar, Inc. scores 6 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. On durability FSLR scores 6.0/10 on the GLS Moat - a middle reading; the Moat Score tab on the Quote page's Financials view shows which of the four parts hold it back.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 15.2%, ROE 16.0%, ROA 11.5% - with debt at 0.05 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 1.1%.
First Solar, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Solar Module 100% (quarter Q3 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 6/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded Congressional buy was on 13 Aug 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 15.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.0 / 10 | ROE | 16.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.05 | ROA | 11.5% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 1.1% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 6 / 10 |
Wheel Score 84: Good
With a Wheel Score of 84 - the Good band - First Solar, Inc. passes all 9 Wheel Trade Filters. How it ranks: value strong, premium strong, moat good, health good, red flags fair, option trading strong, stability fair. Red Flags (fair) is the part keeping it out of the Prime band.
Implied volatility is 52% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. The option chain is deep: 253,998 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 8.7M shares a day on a market cap of $20.9B, with a beta of 1.73 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 46% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 52% | |
| Moat | Good | moat 6.0/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | Red Flags score 70/100 | |
| Option trading | Strong | 96,997 contracts a day, 253,998 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 1.73, $20.9B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for FSLR in the nightly calendar.
No analyst upgrades or downgrades were recorded in the last 30 days.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Solar
The 12 companies below are the closest to First Solar, Inc. by market cap within the Solar industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NXT Nextpower Inc. | 106.70 | 81.28 | -31% | 37Weak | $16.2B |
| ENPH Enphase Energy, Inc. | 31.55 | 14.46 | -118% | 32Weak | $4.2B |
| RUN Sunrun Inc. | 8.79 | 9.48 | +7% | 24Weak | $2.1B |
| SEDG SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. | 30.02 | 32.07 | +6% | 32Weak | $1.8B |
| SHLS Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. | 9.16 | 3.88 | -136% | 25Weak | $1.5B |
| ARRY Array Technologies, Inc. | 5.33 | 18.61 | +71% | 38Weak | $820M |
| CSIQ Canadian Solar Inc. | 10.78 | - | - | 22Weak | $732M |
| TOYO TOYO Co., Ltd. | 5.18 | 136.42 | +96% | 39Weak | $221M |
| JKS Jinko Holdings Limited Sponsored ADR | 10.65 | 19,131.82 | +100% | 40Weak | $139M |
| TYGO Tigo Energy, Inc. | 0.9967 | 5.31 | +81% | 27No options | $77M |
| SPWR SunPower Inc. | 0.2420 | - | - | 9No options | $41M |
| SPRU Spruce Power Holding Corporation | 1.39 | 42.79 | +97% | 23Weak | $27M |
Scan the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the top 10 stocks that pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about FSLR
Is FSLR undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 194.51 the stock is 46% below the average fair value of 363.21 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of FSLR and what does it mean?
FSLR scores 84 out of 100 (Good). The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for FSLR?
363.21 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does First Solar, Inc. report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for FSLR in our calendar as of 5 Nov 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does FSLR have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 600 listed contracts with 253,998 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 52% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.