First Solar stock falls after dropping ITC patent case

Published on 09/17/2026 at 14:53 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

First Solar stock closed at USD 191.07 on Nasdaq on September 16, 2026, down 5.6 percent after the company withdrew a patent case at the U.S. International Trade Commission. Analyst targets still imply upside despite the setback for the solar panel maker.

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First Solar Inc. stock (ISIN US3364331070) closed at USD 191.07 on the Nasdaq on September 16, 2026, down 5.6 percent from the prior session after the company withdrew a patent complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission and refocused on lawsuits in federal court against rivals.

Patent case withdrawal weighs on the shares

As Reuters reported on September 16, 2026, First Solar said it would withdraw a patent infringement complaint before the U.S. International Trade Commission and instead pursue lawsuits in federal court against competitors over a leading solar technology.

According to 24/7 Wall St on September 16, 2026, management characterized the withdrawal of the Section 337 complaint as procedural, but the stock was sliding about 5 percent in afternoon trading while broader solar peers were relatively steady, highlighting investor concern about the legal strategy.

Price move and valuation context

Per Nasdaq data cited by MarketBeat, First Solar stock closed at USD 191.07 on September 16, 2026, a 5.57 percent decline from the previous close and within an extended trading range that saw the shares at USD 192.70 later that evening.

On the same day, GuruFocus noted that First Solar shares fell 5.6 percent on September 16, 2026 to USD 191.07 and have declined 26.9 percent year to date, trading within a 52-week range of USD 182.99 to USD 320.95 as of that date.

According to the same GuruFocus analysis, the stock’s market price of USD 191.07 on September 16, 2026 stands 24.4 percent below its assessed GF Value of USD 252.72, implying that First Solar is trading at a discount to that valuation metric.

Analyst views and earnings expectations

Analyst sentiment around First Solar remains broadly constructive despite the latest pullback. As MarketBeat summarized on September 16, 2026, the company carries a consensus rating of Moderate Buy, with one analyst assigning a Strong Buy, twenty-two rating it Buy, twelve rating it Hold and two rating it Sell, alongside an average price target of USD 266.06.

Within that consensus, MarketBeat also reported that Bernstein downgraded First Solar to Underperform and reduced its price target to USD 197, a level only about 3 percent above the September 16, 2026 close of USD 191.07.

The earnings outlook is part of the story. According to Zacks on September 16, 2026, the investment community expects First Solar to report earnings per share of USD 4.59 in its upcoming quarterly release, representing an anticipated 8.25 percent increase compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

The same Zacks overview pointed out that First Solar is trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11.38 based on those expected earnings, a valuation that some investors may see as undemanding for a company positioned in the utility-scale solar market.

Stock performance and investor takeaway

Recent performance underscores the volatility around First Solar stock. As GuruFocus noted on September 16, 2026, the shares have lost 15.3 percent over the past month and 26.9 percent since the start of the year, leaving the price closer to the lower end of the 52-week range of USD 182.99 to USD 320.95.

At the same time, Zacks indicated on September 17, 2026 that First Solar shares returned about minus 8 percent over the past month versus a decline of 2.4 percent in its S&P 500 composite benchmark, confirming that the stock has recently underperformed the broader market.

For investors, the combination of a legal strategy shift, a sharp short-term price move and moderate valuation metrics sets the frame for assessing First Solar stock. The withdrawal of the ITC complaint removes one legal avenue but does not end the company’s efforts to defend its technology, while consensus targets and an expected 8.25 percent year-over-year earnings increase suggest that many analysts still see room for upside from the September 16, 2026 closing level of USD 191.07.

First Solar stock price snapshot

First Solar stock last closed at USD 191.07 on the Nasdaq on September 16, 2026, a decline of about 5.6 percent on the day and leaving the shares trading within a 52-week range of USD 182.99 to USD 320.95 as of that date.