First Solar
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is America's leading photovoltaic solar technology and manufacturing company and the world's largest thin film PV solar module manufacturer. The company designs, manufactures, and sells cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar modules that convert sunlight into electricity, operating as a fully… From the company’s description.
Margins and return on equity change in ; everything else in percent. Fewer shares and less debt are shown plainly, not as bad news — it depends what you make of buybacks. Dotted labels explain each measure. is shown separately from the annual figures.
What First Solar does
In the company’s own words
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is America's leading photovoltaic solar technology and manufacturing company and the world's largest thin film PV solar module manufacturer. The company designs, manufactures, and sells cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar modules that convert sunlight into electricity, operating as a fully integrated business from advanced research through product development, manufacturing, and applications. First Solar's website is www.firstsolar.com.
The company operates a global manufacturing footprint with facilities in the United States, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India. As of December 31, 2025, First Solar employed approximately 7,900 associates, with the majority based in the United States. The company has sold more than 93 gigawatts of modules worldwide and operates recycling facilities at manufacturing sites across multiple countries, having recycled more than 400,000 metric tons of PV modules to date.
First Solar's core competitive advantages stem from its proprietary thin film CdTe technology, which delivers superior performance characteristics including better temperature coefficients, spectral response in humid environments, partial shading response, and immunity to cell cracking compared to conventional crystalline silicon modules. The company's manufacturing process is highly automated and vertically integrated, transforming raw glass into completed modules within hours through continuous flow production rather than the multi-day batch processing typical of crystalline silicon competitors. The company currently holds two world records for CdTe cell efficiency at 23.1% and 19.9% module aperture area efficiency.
The United States represents the company's primary market, accounting for 96 percent of 2025 net sales. The company also operates significantly in India, the world's third largest solar market, and maintains a commitment to responsible solar practices including zero tolerance for forced labor and no reliance on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains. First Solar's Series 6 Plus modules deliver approximately 464 watts of power, while the newer Series 7 modules with larger form factors produce approximately 532 watts. The company has invested over two billion dollars in research and development over the past twenty years and continues substantial investment in perovskite development and thin film innovation capabilities.
Company details
- Sector
- Information Technology
- Industry (SIC)
- Semiconductors
- Headquarters
- PHOENIX, AZ
- Fiscal year end
- December
- CIK
- 1274494
- SIC
- 3674
Financial performance, year by year
Fiscal 2013–2025 · USDThe full income statement, balance sheet and cash flow for each of these years — every figure traceable to its filing — is on the Financials tab with a free account.
Who owns First Solar — and what changed
Funds as of 2026Q2 · superinvestors as of 2026-06-30
Largest fund holders · First Solar’s weight in each
Fund ownership is a floor, not a census — pensions, insurers and people holding shares directly are not visible here.
Fund ownership counts N-PORT filers only, so it is a floor rather than a census — pensions, insurers and direct holders are not visible here, and the remainder is not “held by individuals”.
Every fund and institutional holder, quarter by quarter, is on the Ownership tab with a free account.
Recent filings
All filings →Each filing opens into its own statements and disclosures here.
Put this business in context.
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