If You Invested $1000 in First Solar a Decade Ago, This is How Much It'd Be Worth Now

How much a stock's price changes over time is important for most investors, since price performance can both impact your investment portfolio and help you compare investment results across sectors and industries.FOMO, or the fear of missing out, also plays a role in investing, particularly with tech giants and popular consumer-facing stocks.What if you'd invested in First Solar (FSLR) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to FSLR for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?First Solar's Business In-DepthWith that in mind, let's take a look at First Solar's main business drivers.Headquartered in Tempe, AZ, First Solar, Inc. is the world’s largest thin-film PV solar module manufacturer and the largest PV solar module manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere. The company is a leading global provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solutions and specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling solar electric power modules using a proprietary thin-film semiconductor technology. The company sells its products to project developers, system integrators and renewable energy project operators primarily in Europe and Germany in particular. First Solar also engages in designing and deploying commercial solar projects for utilities. The company also develops and sells PV solar power systems that primarily use the modules it manufactures. Additionally, it provides operations and maintenance (“O&M”) services to system owners.The company was founded in 1999 and incorporated in 2006. Formerly known as First Solar Holdings, LLC, the company changed its name to First Solar Holdings, Inc. and subsequently to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. For the year ended 2021, the company made changes in the reportable segments to align with revisions to its internal reporting structure and long-term strategic plans. Following this change, the modules business represents First Solar’s only reportable segment.Modules Segment: This segment designs, manufactures, and sells solar modules, which convert sunlight into electricity. For 2024, net sales from this segment amounted to $4.20 billion, comprising 99.9% of total sales.Other: It comprises First Solar’s residential operations and Systems business activities, which include project development, engineering, procurement and construction services as well as O&M services. During 2024, net sales from “Other” amounted to $0.36 billion, comprising 0.1% of total sales. Bottom LineAnyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio takes a combination of a few things: research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in First Solar a decade ago, you're probably feeling pretty good about your investment today.A $1000 investment made in October 2015 would be worth $5,158.60, or a gain of 415.86%, as of October 1, 2025, according to our calculations. This return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation.In comparison, the S&P 500's gained 248.35% and the price of gold went up 233.06% over the same time frame.Looking ahead, analysts are expecting more upside for FSLR.First Solar is investing heftily in expanding its manufacturing capacity and plans to spend $1.0-$1.5 billion in 2025 to build new manufacturing facilities, expand the existing ones, as well as upgrade machinery. The company manufactured 4.2 gigawatts and sold 3.6 GW of solar modules, in the second quarter of 2025. Its total installed nameplate production capacity was 21 GW as of June 30, 2025. Our model predicts solid revenue growth for the company. First Solar's shares have outperformed the industry in the past year. However, the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill in the United States can limit First Solar's ability to qualify for future incentives and thereby hurt its operating results. Additionally, production over capacity of solar modules poses a threat to First Solar. The stock is also expensive compared with its industry.The stock is up 12.64% over the past four weeks, and no earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months, compared to 4 higher, for fiscal 2025. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. Little-known AI firms tackling the world's biggest problems may be more lucrative in the coming months and years.See "2nd Wave" AI stocks now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Solar, Inc. (FSLR): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks