First Solar Stock Price, News & Analysis

First Solar (FSLR) has licensed its TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) cell manufacturing patents to Talon PV, a US-based manufacturer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells. The agreement supports Talon's plans to establish a 4-gigawatt N-type TOPCon cell manufacturing facility in the United States, scheduled to begin operations in Q1 2026 and reach full capacity by Q1 2027.

The licensed patent portfolio, acquired by First Solar through its 2013 TetraSun acquisition, includes patents across multiple countries with validities extending beyond 2030. The patents cover territories including the US, Australia, Canada, China, European Union, and various Asian countries. Financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

First Solar (FSLR) has initiated legal action against JinkoSolar for alleged infringement of its TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) technology patents. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, specifically concerns US Patent No. 9,130,074, which covers manufacturing methods for TOPCon crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells.

First Solar acquired these patents through its 2013 TetraSun acquisition. The company holds TOPCon patents across multiple jurisdictions including the US, Australia, Canada, China, EU, and others, with validities extending beyond 2030. This legal action follows First Solar's July 2024 announcement of infringement investigations against several leading crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturers.

First Solar (FSLR) has finalized the sale of $857 million in Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production tax credits from its 2024 US solar module production. The transaction, structured through two Tax Credit Transfer Agreements, includes a fixed portion of $645 million and a variable portion of $212 million, with the buyer paying $0.955 per $1.00 of credits.

The company expects to receive approximately $819 million in gross cash proceeds, with the transaction expected to complete by February 28, 2025. The deal will have a pre-tax impact of $39 million and post-tax impact of $45 million on earnings, reducing diluted earnings by $0.42 per share for 2024.

First Solar, the largest solar manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere, operates three factories in Ohio and one in Alabama. The company is targeting 14 gigawatts of annual domestic manufacturing capacity by 2026, expected to support over 30,000 jobs and generate $2.8 billion in labor income across the US.

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) has announced it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results after market close on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The company will also present its 2025 financial guidance and outlook during the same event.

A conference call is scheduled for 4:30 PM ET on the same day. Investors can access the live webcast through the investor relations section of First Solar's website. A replay of the webcast will be available until March 27, 2025, approximately two hours after the call.

First Solar (FSLR) has established an Endowed Professorship in Critical Energy Materials at Missouri University of Science and Technology's materials science and engineering department. This initiative builds on a decade-long collaboration focusing on critical minerals, particularly tellurium. The endowment aims to strengthen critical supply chains and support research in extractive metallurgy.

The partnership highlights Missouri S&T's expertise in critical minerals research, with the university being home to the Thomas J. O'Keefe Center for Critical Minerals and leading the Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub consortium. The collaboration between First Solar and Missouri S&T represents a strategic alignment between industry and academia to address challenges in critical mineral security and support the green energy transition.

First Solar (FSLR) reported Q3 2024 financial results with net sales of $0.9 billion, down $0.1 billion from Q2, primarily due to decreased MW volume sold and a $50 million product warranty reserve charge. Net income per diluted share was $2.91, compared to $3.25 in Q2. Net cash balance decreased to $0.7 billion from $1.2 billion, mainly due to capital expenditures for new U.S. factories. The company updated its 2024 guidance, lowering net sales to $4.10B-$4.25B and volume sold to 14.2GW-14.6GW. Year-to-date net bookings reached 4.0 GW with an expected sales backlog of 73.3 GW.

Verde Clean Fuels (NASDAQ: VGAS) has appointed George Burdette as Chief Financial Officer. Burdette brings over 15 years of experience in finance, commercial operations, corporate development, and investment management. CEO Ernie Miller expressed confidence in Burdette's ability to advance the company's plans for deploying its proprietary liquid fuels processing technology through commercial production plants.

Burdette's previous roles include CFO at Arbor Renewable Gas and Itafos, as well as head of project finance at First Solar. He has experience in energy infrastructure and private equity, holding a Bachelor's degree in International Business and French from Wofford College and an International MBA from the University of South Carolina.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) has announced that it will release its third quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, after the market closes. The company will host a conference call on the same day at 4:30 PM ET to discuss the results. Investors and interested parties can access the live webcast of the call through the investor section of First Solar's website. A replay of the webcast will be available until Thursday, November 28, 2024, approximately two hours after the call concludes.

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) has inaugurated its new $1.1 billion fully vertically integrated thin-film solar manufacturing facility in Lawrence County, Alabama. The facility adds 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar manufacturing capacity in the United States and is expected to create over 800 new energy technology manufacturing jobs in the state.

This new facility, along with First Solar's three operating factories in Ohio, brings the company's domestic nameplate manufacturing capacity to nearly 11 GW and its global capacity to over 21 GW. First Solar is also constructing another $1.1 billion, 3.5 GW facility in Louisiana, expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2025. By the end of 2026, the company anticipates having over 14 GW of annual nameplate capacity in the US and 25 GW globally.