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In the latest trading session, First Solar (FSLR) closed at $175.92, marking a +0.5% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.87%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.67%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 1.11%.

The largest U.S. solar company's shares have seen an increase of 14.17% over the last month, surpassing the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 3.26% and the S&P 500's loss of 3.97%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of First Solar in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on May 1, 2024. On that day, First Solar is projected to report earnings of $2.03 per share, which would represent year-over-year growth of 407.5%. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $746.46 million, showing a 36.14% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $13.55 per share and revenue of $4.5 billion, which would represent changes of +75.06% and +35.47%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for First Solar. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.25% increase. Right now, First Solar possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at valuation, First Solar is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 12.92. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 11.78, so one might conclude that First Solar is trading at a premium comparatively.

It is also worth noting that FSLR currently has a PEG ratio of 0.3. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Solar industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.3.

The Solar industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 155, positioning it in the bottom 39% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.