FSLR First Solar Inc

• Net sales of $0.9 billion
• Net income per diluted share of $2.91, impacted by $50 million product warranty reserve charge
• Net cash balance of $0.7 billion
• YTD net bookings of 4.0 GW; 0.4 GW since second quarter earnings call
• Expected sales backlog of 73.3 GW

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) (the “Company”) today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Net sales for the third quarter were $0.9 billion, a decrease of $0.1 billion from the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily driven by a decrease in the volume of MW sold and a product warranty reserve charge, partially offset by termination payments from certain customers in the U.S. and India.

The Company reported third quarter net income per diluted share of $2.91, compared to net income per diluted share of $3.25 in the second quarter of 2024.

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, restricted cash equivalents, and marketable securities, less debt at the end of the third quarter, decreased to $0.7 billion from $1.2 billion at the end of the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily driven by capital expenditures associated with our new U.S. factories in Alabama and Louisiana along with an increase in working capital.

“As we approach the end of 2024, we remain pleased with the progress made across our business, navigating against a backdrop of industry volatility and political uncertainty, with a continued focus on balancing growth, profitability, and liquidity,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “We expect that our disciplined, long-term approach will allow us to work through the outcomes of the upcoming US elections as well as the continued volatility across the solar manufacturing industry.”

Our 2024 guidance has been updated as follows:

 

Prior

Current

Net Sales

$4.4B to $4.6B

$4.10B to $4.25B

Gross Margin (1)

$2.0B to $2.1B

$1.95B to $2.00B

Operating Expenses (2)

$455M to $485M

$445M to $475M

Operating Income (3)

$1.5B to $1.6B

$1.48B to $1.54B

Earnings per Diluted Share

$13.00 to $14.00

$13.00 to $13.50

Net Cash Balance (4)

$0.6B to $0.9B

$0.5B to $0.7B

Capital Expenditures

$1.8B to $2.0B

$1.55B to $1.65B

Volume Sold

15.6GW to 16.3GW

14.2GW to 14.6GW

——————————

(1)

Assumes $60 million to $75 million of ramp costs and $1.02 billion to $1.05 billion of Section 45X tax credits

(2)

Assumes $70 million to $80 million of production start-up expense

(3)

Assumes $130 million to $155 million of production start-up expense and ramp costs, and $1.02 billion to $1.05 billion of Section 45X tax credits

(4)

Defined as cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, restricted cash equivalents, and marketable securities, less expected debt at the end of 2024

The guidance figures presented above are forward-looking statements that are subject to a variety of assumptions and estimates, including with respect to certain factors related to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”). Among other things, such factors include (i) the total Section 45X tax credit and (ii) the timing and ability to monetize such credit. Investors are encouraged to listen to the conference call and to review the accompanying materials, which contain more information about First Solar’s third quarter 2024 financial results, 2024 guidance, and financial outlook.

Conference Call Details

First Solar has scheduled a conference call for today, October 29, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. ET, to discuss this announcement. A live webcast of this conference call and accompanying materials are available at investor.firstsolar.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Investors section of the Company’s website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and remain available for 30 days.

About First Solar, Inc.

First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules advancing the fight against climate change. Developed at research and development labs in California and Ohio, the Company’s advanced thin film photovoltaic (“PV”) modules represent the next generation of solar technologies, providing a competitive, high-performance, lower-carbon alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV panels. From raw material sourcing and manufacturing through end-of-life module recycling, First Solar’s approach to technology embodies sustainability and a responsibility towards people and the planet. For more information, please visit www.firstsolar.com.

For First Solar Investors

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: demand for our technology; increased research and development investment; new domestic and international capacity coming online; production and delivery of our modules; anticipated claims under our limited product warranty obligations and any related remediation commitments; our financial guidance for 2024, including future financial results, net sales, gross margin, operating expenses, operating income, earnings per diluted share, net cash balance, capital expenditures, expected earnings cadence, volume sold, shipments, bookings, products and our business and financial objectives for 2024; the availability of benefits under certain production linked incentive programs, and the impact of the IRA including the total advanced manufacturing production credit available to us under Section 45X of the Internal Revenue Code. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of words such as “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “believe,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “goal,” “target,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “predict,” “continue,” “contingent” and the negative or plural of these words and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and our projections about future events and therefore speak only as of the date of this release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: structural imbalances in global supply and demand for PV solar modules; our competitive position and other key competitive factors; the market for renewable energy, including solar energy; the reduction, elimination, expiration or introduction of government subsidies, policies, and support programs for solar energy projects; the impact of public policies, such as tariffs or other trade remedies imposed on solar cells and modules; the passage of legislation intended to encourage renewable energy investments through tax credits, such as the IRA; the impact of the IRA on our expected results of operations in future periods, which may be affected by technical guidance, regulations, subsequent amendments or interpretations of the law; interest rate fluctuations and both our and our customers’ ability to secure financing; changes in the exchange rates between the functional currencies of our subsidiaries and other currencies in which assets and liabilities are denominated; our ability to execute on our long-term strategic plans; the loss of any of our large customers, or the ability of our customers and counterparties to perform under their contracts with us; our ability to execute on our solar module technology and cost reduction roadmaps; the performance of our solar modules upon installation; our ability to improve the wattage of our solar modules; our ability to incorporate technology improvements into our manufacturing process, including the production of bifacial solar modules and the implementation of our Copper Replacement (“CuRe”) program; the satisfaction of conditions precedent in our sales agreements; our ability to attract new customers and to develop and maintain existing customer and supplier relationships; general economic and business conditions, including those influenced by U.S., international, and geopolitical events; environmental responsibility, including with respect to cadmium telluride (“CdTe”) and other semiconductor materials; claims under our limited warranty obligations; changes in, or the failure to comply with, government regulations and environmental, health, and safety requirements; effects arising from and results of pending litigation; future collection and recycling costs for solar modules covered by our module collection and recycling program or otherwise as required by laws and regulations; supply chain disruptions; our ability to protect our intellectual property; our ability to prevent and/or minimize the impact of cybersecurity incidents including breaches or outages of our information systems; our continued investment in research and development; the supply and price of components and raw materials, including CdTe; our ability to construct new production facilities to support new product lines in line with anticipated timing; evolving corporate governance and public disclosure regulations and expectations, including with respect to environmental, social and governance matters; our ability to avoid manufacturing interruptions, including during the ramp of our manufacturing facilities; our ability to attract and retain key executive officers and associates; the severity and duration of public health threats, including the potential impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations; and the matters discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

FIRST SOLAR, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share data)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

September 30, 2024

 

December 31, 2023

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

1,005,130

 

 

$

1,946,994

 

Marketable securities

 

 

264,691

 

 

 

155,495

 

Accounts receivable trade, net

 

 

762,138

 

 

 

660,776

 

Government grants receivable, net

 

 

6,659

 

 

 

659,745

 

Inventories

 

 

1,250,629

 

 

 

819,899

 

Other current assets

 

 

528,856

 

 

 

391,900

 

Total current assets

 

 

3,818,103

 

 

 

4,634,809

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

 

5,326,121

 

 

 

4,397,285

 

Deferred tax assets, net

 

 

237,868

 

 

 

142,819

 

Restricted marketable securities

 

 

211,130

 

 

 

198,310

 

Government grants receivable

 

 

871,745

 

 

 

152,208

 

Goodwill

 

 

29,585

 

 

 

29,687

 

Intangible assets, net

 

 

56,645

 

 

 

64,511

 

Inventories

 

 

269,675

 

 

 

266,899

 

Other assets

 

 

615,766

 

 

 

478,604

 

Total assets

 

$

11,436,638

 

 

$

10,365,132

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

265,320

 

 

$

207,178

 

Income taxes payable

 

 

98,446

 

 

 

22,134

 

Accrued expenses

 

 

520,835

 

 

 

524,829

 

Current portion of debt

 

 

208,261

 

 

 

96,238

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

645,050

 

 

 

413,579

 

Other current liabilities

 

 

44,253

 

 

 

42,200

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

1,782,165

 

 

 

1,306,158

 

Accrued solar module collection and recycling liability

 

 

139,035

 

 

 

135,123

 

Long-term debt

 

 

373,321

 

 

 

464,068

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

1,320,331

 

 

 

1,591,604

 

Other liabilities

 

 

228,138

 

 

 

180,710

 

Total liabilities

 

 

3,842,990

 

 

 

3,677,663

 

Commitments and contingencies

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

Common stock, $0.001 par value per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 107,057,732 and 106,847,475 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively

 

 

107

 

 

 

107

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

2,892,407

 

 

 

2,890,427

 

Accumulated earnings

 

 

4,869,994

 

 

 

3,971,066

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

 

(168,860

)

 

 

(174,131

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

 

7,593,648

 

 

 

6,687,469

 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

 

$

11,436,638

 

 

$

10,365,132

 

FIRST SOLAR, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Nine Months Ended

 

 

September 30, 2024

 

June 30, 2024

 

September 30, 2023

 

 

September 30, 2024

 

September 30, 2023

Net sales

 

$

887,668

 

 

$

1,010,482

 

 

$

801,090

 

 

 

$

2,692,258

 

 

$

2,160,049

 

Cost of sales

 

 

442,357

 

 

 

511,593

 

 

 

424,915

 

 

 

 

1,402,055

 

 

 

1,361,403

 

Gross profit

 

 

445,311

 

 

 

498,889

 

 

 

376,175

 

 

 

 

1,290,203

 

 

 

798,646

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selling, general and administrative

 

 

46,293

 

 

 

46,560

 

 

 

50,172

 

 

 

 

138,680

 

 

 

140,528

 

Research and development

 

 

50,197

 

 

 

51,937

 

 

 

41,190

 

 

 

 

144,876

 

 

 

108,445

 

Production start-up

 

 

26,822

 

 

 

27,451

 

 

 

12,059

 

 

 

 

69,681

 

 

 

54,930

 

Litigation loss

 

 

—

 

 

 

430

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

430

 

 

 

35,590

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

123,312

 

 

 

126,378

 

 

 

103,421

 

 

 

 

353,667

 

 

 

339,493

 

Gain on sales of businesses, net

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

211

 

 

 

 

1,115

 

 

 

329

 

Operating income

 

 

321,999

 

 

 

372,511

 

 

 

272,965

 

 

 

 

937,651

 

 

 

459,482

 

Foreign currency loss, net

 

 

(5,158

)

 

 

(9,649

)

 

 

(987

)

 

 

 

(17,665

)

 

 

(11,586

)

Interest income

 

 

22,580

 

 

 

24,599

 

 

 

23,254

 

 

 

 

74,424

 

 

 

74,102

 

Interest expense, net

 

 

(9,008

)

 

 

(9,765

)

 

 

(3,734

)

 

 

 

(27,983

)

 

 

(5,897

)

Other expense, net

 

 

(3,071

)

 

 

(565

)

 

 

(1,033

)

 

 

 

(6,435

)

 

 

(1,492

)

Income before taxes

 

 

327,342

 

 

 

377,131

 

 

 

290,465

 

 

 

 

959,992

 

 

 

514,609

 

Income tax expense

 

 

(14,386

)

 

 

(27,775

)

 

 

(22,067

)

 

 

 

(61,064

)

 

 

(33,071

)

Net income

 

$

312,956

 

 

$

349,356

 

 

$

268,398

 

 

 

$

898,928

 

 

$

481,538

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

2.92

 

 

$

3.26

 

 

$

2.51

 

 

 

$

8.40

 

 

$

4.51

 

Diluted

 

$

2.91

 

 

$

3.25

 

 

$

2.50

 

 

 

$

8.36

 

 

$

4.49

 

Weighted-average number of shares used in per share calculations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

107,049

 

 

 

107,042

 

 

 

106,834

 

 

 

 

107,015

 

 

 

106,795

 

Diluted

 

 

107,562

 

 

 

107,525

 

 

 

107,498

 

 

 

 

107,514

 

 

 

107,326

 

FIRST SOLAR, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Nine Months Ended September 30,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

 

2023

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

898,928

 

 

$

481,538

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

Depreciation, amortization and accretion

 

 

299,079

 

 

 

218,303

 

Share-based compensation

 

 

21,987

 

 

 

23,209

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

(85,343

)

 

 

(46,053

)

Gain on sales of businesses, net

 

 

(1,115

)

 

 

(329

)

Other, net

 

 

3,238

 

 

 

393

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable, trade

 

 

(68,823

)

 

 

(385,046

)

Inventories

 

 

(434,375

)

 

 

(262,665

)

Government grants receivable

 

 

(59,181

)

 

 

(429,744

)

Other assets

 

 

(183,127

)

 

 

(126,073

)

Income tax receivable and payable

 

 

35,708

 

 

 

(16,809

)

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

 

 

(8,953

)

 

 

121,382

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

(13,159

)

 

 

472,934

 

Other liabilities

 

 

2,139

 

 

 

(9,889

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

 

407,003

 

 

 

41,151

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

 

 

(1,212,537

)

 

 

(1,039,863

)

Purchases of marketable securities and restricted marketable securities

 

 

(2,014,764

)

 

 

(3,220,467

)

Proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities

 

 

1,897,997

 

 

 

3,996,439

 

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired

 

 

—

 

 

 

(35,739

)

Other investing activities

 

 

(12,617

)

 

 

—

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(1,341,921

)

 

 

(299,630

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from borrowings under debt arrangements, net of issuance costs

 

 

227,654

 

 

 

307,214

 

Repayment of debt

 

 

(205,821

)

 

 

—

 

Payments of tax withholdings for restricted shares

 

 

(20,144

)

 

 

(31,100

)

Contingent consideration payment and other financing activities

 

 

(7,568

)

 

 

—

 

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

 

 

(5,879

)

 

 

276,114

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents

 

 

(2,805

)

 

 

(855

)

Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents

 

 

(943,602

)

 

 

16,780

 

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, beginning of the period

 

 

1,965,069

 

 

 

1,493,462

 

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, end of the period

 

$

1,021,467

 

 

$

1,510,242

 

Supplemental disclosure of noncash investing and financing activities:

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment acquisitions funded by liabilities

 

$

264,480

 

 

$

185,064

 

Proceeds to be received from asset-based government grants

 

$

159,490

 

 

$

152,458

 

Acquisitions funded by contingent consideration

 

$

11,000

 

 

$

18,500

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241029861414/en/

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