Analysis of Solvency Ratios
Quarterly Data
Solvency ratios also known as long-term debt ratios measure a company ability to meet long-term obligations.
Solvency Ratios (Summary)
First Solar Inc., solvency ratios (quarterly data)
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
The analysis of the financial ratios over the given periods reveals several notable trends related to the company's leverage and ability to cover interest expenses.
- Debt to Equity Ratio
- The debt to equity ratio remains consistently low throughout the periods, fluctuating modestly between 0.03 and 0.09. This suggests the company relies very little on debt financing relative to equity. There is a slight increase after December 2022, rising from 0.03 to approximately 0.08-0.09 by early 2024, indicating a marginal increase in leverage but still maintaining a conservative capital structure.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- Mirroring the debt to equity trend, the debt to capital ratio remains low, ranging from 0.03 to 0.08. A similar uptick is seen post-December 2022, which aligns with the increase in the debt to equity ratio. This further confirms that the company's total capital structure continues to be predominantly equity financed, with only minor utilization of debt.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
- The debt to assets ratio exhibits a very low and stable pattern, generally between 0.02 and 0.07. This indicates that debt represents a negligible proportion of the company's asset base. A mild increase from around 0.02-0.03 levels in late 2022 to roughly 0.05-0.06 in 2023 and 2024 points towards an incremental rise in debt relative to assets, but still at a modest level.
- Financial Leverage
- Financial leverage remains relatively stable in the early periods, ranging only slightly from 1.24 to 1.35, reflecting a moderate ratio of total assets to equity. Starting from mid-2022 and continuing through 2024, there is a discernible upward trend from about 1.29 up to approximately 1.56, indicating a gradual increase in the use of debt or retained earnings to finance assets, consistent with the debt ratio trends.
- Interest Coverage Ratio
- The interest coverage ratio displays significant volatility and notable improvement over time. It starts at a negative value of -1.1 in March 2020, indicating an inability to cover interest expenses at that time, likely due to operational losses or low earnings. Subsequently, there is a sharp and consistent improvement, reaching exceptionally high figures such as 44.65 in December 2021 and peaking at 69.75 in December 2023. The ratio remains robust into mid-2024 at around 39.14, suggesting strong earnings relative to interest expenses and a comfortable ability to service debt. The occasional dips, such as in December 2022 (1.7), suggest brief periods of financial strain but overall the trend is strongly positive.
In summary, the company maintains a low level of debt relative to equity, capital, and assets, signaling prudent leverage management. Financial leverage has gradually increased but remains moderate. The marked improvement in interest coverage ratio indicates enhanced profitability and strong earnings performance, reducing risk related to interest obligations. Overall, the financial condition regarding leverage and debt serviceability appears stable and improving throughout the periods analyzed.
Debt Ratios
Coverage Ratios
Debt to Equity
First Solar Inc., debt to equity calculation (quarterly data)
| Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current portion of debt | 208,261) | 140,175) | 200,907) | 96,238) | 35,409) | —) | —) | —) | 5,435) | 5,150) | 4,701) | 3,896) | 37,129) | 3,239) | 2,453) | 41,540) | 40,412) | 77,029) | 81,807) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, noncurrent portion | 373,321) | 418,725) | 418,695) | 464,068) | 464,040) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 254,224) | 170,017) | 247,354) | 236,005) | 241,483) | 276,084) | 254,447) | 237,691) | 220,456) | 387,727) | 390,588) | ||||||
| Total debt | 581,582) | 558,900) | 619,602) | 560,306) | 499,449) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 259,659) | 175,167) | 252,055) | 239,901) | 278,612) | 279,323) | 256,900) | 279,231) | 260,868) | 464,756) | 472,395) | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | 7,593,648) | 7,255,397) | 6,902,514) | 6,687,469) | 6,302,376) | 6,039,638) | 5,868,728) | 5,836,055) | 5,828,337) | 5,895,827) | 5,875,175) | 5,959,551) | 5,830,075) | 5,783,635) | 5,694,780) | 5,520,928) | 5,396,113) | 5,226,796) | 5,168,622) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to equity1 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.09 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Equity, Competitors2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Analog Devices Inc. | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.47 | 0.48 | 0.47 | ||||||
| Applied Materials Inc. | 0.33 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.46 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.52 | 0.57 | 0.76 | 0.61 | ||||||
| Broadcom Inc. | 1.07 | 1.06 | 1.08 | 1.64 | 1.78 | 1.79 | 1.69 | 1.74 | 1.89 | 1.88 | 1.72 | 1.59 | 1.66 | 1.69 | 1.75 | 1.72 | 1.87 | 1.92 | 1.84 | ||||||
| Intel Corp. | 0.50 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 0.51 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.40 | 0.45 | 0.42 | 0.45 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| KLA Corp. | 2.14 | 1.94 | 1.97 | 2.02 | 2.20 | 2.35 | 3.00 | 4.75 | 0.91 | 0.85 | 0.89 | 1.02 | 1.11 | 1.18 | 1.25 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Lam Research Corp. | 0.62 | 0.61 | 0.62 | 0.61 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.67 | 0.80 | 0.83 | 0.77 | 0.86 | 0.83 | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.08 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Micron Technology Inc. | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.26 | 0.21 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.17 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| NVIDIA Corp. | 0.29 | 0.35 | 0.45 | 0.50 | 0.51 | 0.46 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.56 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.45 | 0.50 | 0.53 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Qualcomm Inc. | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.67 | 0.71 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 0.90 | 0.86 | 0.97 | 1.18 | 1.39 | 1.58 | 1.92 | 2.12 | 2.13 | 2.59 | 4.82 | 5.24 | 3.53 | ||||||
| Texas Instruments Inc. | 0.80 | 0.81 | 0.84 | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.60 | 0.55 | 0.51 | 0.55 | 0.58 | 0.64 | 0.56 | 0.61 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q3 2024 Calculation
Debt to equity = Total debt ÷ Stockholders’ equity
= 581,582 ÷ 7,593,648 = 0.08
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt
- The company's total debt levels demonstrated initial volatility, with a notable decline from approximately $472 million at the end of Q1 2020 to around $260 million by Q3 2020. This reduction was followed by fluctuations, including an increase to approximately $320 million by Q1 2023 and a subsequent upward trend reaching approximately $619 million by Q1 2024. The debt level showed a general upward trajectory over the most recent quarters, albeit with some intermittent decreases.
- Stockholders’ Equity
- Stockholders’ equity exhibited a steady and consistent growth throughout the entire period. Starting at roughly $5.17 billion at the end of Q1 2020, equity figures rose incrementally each quarter, reaching approximately $7.59 billion by Q3 2024. This indicates ongoing accumulation of retained earnings and/or capital injections, supporting the company's financial foundation.
- Debt to Equity Ratio
- The debt to equity ratio remained low throughout the period, indicative of a strong equity base relative to debt. The ratio started at around 0.09 in early 2020, fell to lows near 0.03 to 0.04 during 2021 and early 2022, reflecting reduced financial leverage. However, from 2023 onwards, the ratio increased gradually, reaching approximately 0.09 by Q1 2024. This suggests a cautious shift toward greater leverage, though the overall ratio remains conservative by typical industry standards.
- Overall Analysis
- The financial data reveals a company maintaining a strong equity position supported by consistent growth in stockholders' equity. Total debt levels, after an initial reduction, have trended upward in recent quarters, contributing to a moderate increase in the debt to equity ratio. Despite this rise, leverage remains low relative to equity, indicating prudent financial management. The recent increase in debt may reflect strategic decisions to finance growth or capitalize on investment opportunities, but it merits monitoring to ensure sustainability of the company's capital structure.
Debt to Capital
First Solar Inc., debt to capital calculation (quarterly data)
| Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current portion of debt | 208,261) | 140,175) | 200,907) | 96,238) | 35,409) | —) | —) | —) | 5,435) | 5,150) | 4,701) | 3,896) | 37,129) | 3,239) | 2,453) | 41,540) | 40,412) | 77,029) | 81,807) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, noncurrent portion | 373,321) | 418,725) | 418,695) | 464,068) | 464,040) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 254,224) | 170,017) | 247,354) | 236,005) | 241,483) | 276,084) | 254,447) | 237,691) | 220,456) | 387,727) | 390,588) | ||||||
| Total debt | 581,582) | 558,900) | 619,602) | 560,306) | 499,449) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 259,659) | 175,167) | 252,055) | 239,901) | 278,612) | 279,323) | 256,900) | 279,231) | 260,868) | 464,756) | 472,395) | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | 7,593,648) | 7,255,397) | 6,902,514) | 6,687,469) | 6,302,376) | 6,039,638) | 5,868,728) | 5,836,055) | 5,828,337) | 5,895,827) | 5,875,175) | 5,959,551) | 5,830,075) | 5,783,635) | 5,694,780) | 5,520,928) | 5,396,113) | 5,226,796) | 5,168,622) | ||||||
| Total capital | 8,175,230) | 7,814,297) | 7,522,116) | 7,247,775) | 6,801,825) | 6,477,048) | 6,189,106) | 6,020,404) | 6,087,996) | 6,070,994) | 6,127,230) | 6,199,452) | 6,108,687) | 6,062,958) | 5,951,680) | 5,800,159) | 5,656,981) | 5,691,552) | 5,641,017) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to capital1 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.08 | 0.08 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Capital, Competitors2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.05 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Analog Devices Inc. | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.32 | ||||||
| Applied Materials Inc. | 0.25 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.43 | 0.38 | ||||||
| Broadcom Inc. | 0.52 | 0.51 | 0.52 | 0.62 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.65 | 0.65 | 0.63 | 0.61 | 0.62 | 0.63 | 0.64 | 0.63 | 0.65 | 0.66 | 0.65 | ||||||
| Intel Corp. | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.29 | 0.28 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.29 | 0.31 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| KLA Corp. | 0.68 | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.69 | 0.70 | 0.75 | 0.83 | 0.48 | 0.46 | 0.47 | 0.50 | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.55 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Lam Research Corp. | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.44 | 0.45 | 0.44 | 0.46 | 0.45 | 0.52 | 0.51 | 0.52 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Micron Technology Inc. | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.17 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| NVIDIA Corp. | 0.23 | 0.26 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.31 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.36 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.35 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Qualcomm Inc. | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.40 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.66 | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.72 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.78 | ||||||
| Texas Instruments Inc. | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.36 | 0.38 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q3 2024 Calculation
Debt to capital = Total debt ÷ Total capital
= 581,582 ÷ 8,175,230 = 0.07
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt
- Over the analyzed periods, total debt demonstrated variability with an overall upward trajectory in the most recent quarters. Initially, debt declined sharply from 472 million US$ at the end of Q1 2020 to approximately 260 million US$ by Q3 2020, suggesting either repayment or restructuring activities. This was followed by relatively stable and moderate fluctuations through 2021 and early 2022, maintaining levels mostly between 175 million US$ and 320 million US$. From Q1 2023 onward, a distinct increasing trend emerged, with total debt rising substantially to a peak of over 619 million US$ by Q1 2024, before a slight retreat to 581 million US$ by Q3 2024. The recent increase could indicate renewed borrowing to support expansion, investment, or refinancing.
- Total Capital
- Total capital maintained a steady incremental growth pattern throughout the entire period. Starting at around 5.64 billion US$ in Q1 2020, it experienced a gradual rise to reach approximately 6.18 billion US$ by the end of 2022. This growth accelerated in the subsequent quarters, culminating in a value exceeding 8.17 billion US$ by Q3 2024. The consistent increase in total capital indicates sustained equity enhancement, retention of earnings, or capital infusions, signaling strengthening of the capital base over time.
- Debt to Capital Ratio
- The debt to capital ratio remained generally low, fluctuating between approximately 0.03 and 0.08 during the analyzed periods. Initially, this ratio decreased from 0.08 in Q1 2020 to about 0.04 by early 2021, reflecting a relative reduction in debt load compared to total capital. It stayed near these lower levels through most of 2021 and 2022, demonstrating conservative leverage. However, starting in early 2023, the ratio increased back towards 0.08, paralleling the rise in total debt despite the growing capital base. The leverage, while higher than in recent years, remains moderate, suggesting the company is managing debt prudently relative to its capital.
Debt to Assets
First Solar Inc., debt to assets calculation (quarterly data)
| Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current portion of debt | 208,261) | 140,175) | 200,907) | 96,238) | 35,409) | —) | —) | —) | 5,435) | 5,150) | 4,701) | 3,896) | 37,129) | 3,239) | 2,453) | 41,540) | 40,412) | 77,029) | 81,807) | ||||||
| Long-term debt, noncurrent portion | 373,321) | 418,725) | 418,695) | 464,068) | 464,040) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 254,224) | 170,017) | 247,354) | 236,005) | 241,483) | 276,084) | 254,447) | 237,691) | 220,456) | 387,727) | 390,588) | ||||||
| Total debt | 581,582) | 558,900) | 619,602) | 560,306) | 499,449) | 437,410) | 320,378) | 184,349) | 259,659) | 175,167) | 252,055) | 239,901) | 278,612) | 279,323) | 256,900) | 279,231) | 260,868) | 464,756) | 472,395) | ||||||
| Total assets | 11,436,638) | 11,014,255) | 10,760,582) | 10,365,132) | 9,582,645) | 8,997,166) | 8,564,596) | 8,251,228) | 7,492,817) | 7,419,369) | 7,399,225) | 7,413,746) | 7,268,630) | 7,248,473) | 7,108,910) | 7,108,931) | 6,985,217) | 7,072,618) | 6,949,141) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to assets1 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.07 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debt to Assets, Competitors2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Analog Devices Inc. | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.13 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.26 | ||||||
| Applied Materials Inc. | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.31 | 0.27 | ||||||
| Broadcom Inc. | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.54 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.55 | 0.55 | 0.54 | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.55 | ||||||
| Intel Corp. | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 0.24 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| KLA Corp. | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.43 | 0.45 | 0.48 | 0.53 | 0.31 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.37 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Lam Research Corp. | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.31 | 0.38 | 0.38 | 0.39 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Micron Technology Inc. | 0.20 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 0.18 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.12 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| NVIDIA Corp. | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.24 | 0.25 | 0.27 | 0.31 | 0.23 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.28 | 0.30 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Qualcomm Inc. | 0.28 | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 0.50 | 0.48 | ||||||
| Texas Instruments Inc. | 0.39 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.30 | 0.32 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q3 2024 Calculation
Debt to assets = Total debt ÷ Total assets
= 581,582 ÷ 11,436,638 = 0.05
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Debt
- Total debt exhibited a notable decline from early 2020 through mid-2022, dropping from approximately $472 million to $175 million. This downward trend shows consistent debt reduction over multiple quarters. However, starting in early 2023, total debt surged significantly, reaching a peak of over $619 million by the first quarter of 2024. Following this peak, there was a slight decrease and stabilization hovering around $558 million to $581 million in mid to late 2024.
- Total Assets
- The total assets displayed steady growth over the analyzed period. Beginning around $6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020, assets increased progressively each quarter with minor fluctuations, reaching $11.4 billion by the third quarter of 2024. This represents an overall strong upward trajectory signaling continuous expansion or accumulation of assets.
- Debt to Assets Ratio
- The debt to assets ratio maintained a relatively low and stable range through much of the period. From 0.07 in early 2020, the ratio declined steadily, reaching lows around 0.02 to 0.03 during mid to late 2022. Beginning in early 2023, the ratio increased moderately, aligning with the rise in total debt, fluctuating between 0.04 and 0.06 through 2024. Despite this increase, the ratio remains low overall, indicating conservative leverage relative to total assets.
- Overall Insights
- The company demonstrated disciplined debt management from 2020 through mid-2022, significantly reducing liabilities while growing its asset base. This improvement enhanced financial stability, as suggested by the declining debt to assets ratio. The reversal of the debt trend starting in 2023 may reflect increased borrowing possibly to finance growth initiatives or capital investments, given the continued rise in total assets. Nevertheless, leverage remains moderate, indicating the company retains capacity for additional borrowing without substantially increasing financial risk.
Financial Leverage
First Solar Inc., financial leverage calculation (quarterly data)
| Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total assets | 11,436,638) | 11,014,255) | 10,760,582) | 10,365,132) | 9,582,645) | 8,997,166) | 8,564,596) | 8,251,228) | 7,492,817) | 7,419,369) | 7,399,225) | 7,413,746) | 7,268,630) | 7,248,473) | 7,108,910) | 7,108,931) | 6,985,217) | 7,072,618) | 6,949,141) | ||||||
| Stockholders’ equity | 7,593,648) | 7,255,397) | 6,902,514) | 6,687,469) | 6,302,376) | 6,039,638) | 5,868,728) | 5,836,055) | 5,828,337) | 5,895,827) | 5,875,175) | 5,959,551) | 5,830,075) | 5,783,635) | 5,694,780) | 5,520,928) | 5,396,113) | 5,226,796) | 5,168,622) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial leverage1 | 1.51 | 1.52 | 1.56 | 1.55 | 1.52 | 1.49 | 1.46 | 1.41 | 1.29 | 1.26 | 1.26 | 1.24 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.25 | 1.29 | 1.29 | 1.35 | 1.34 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Leverage, Competitors2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 1.22 | 1.20 | 1.21 | 1.21 | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.24 | 1.23 | 1.24 | 1.22 | 1.21 | 1.66 | 1.56 | 1.51 | 1.55 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Analog Devices Inc. | 1.38 | 1.39 | 1.36 | 1.37 | 1.37 | 1.38 | 1.38 | 1.38 | 1.37 | 1.37 | 1.37 | 1.38 | 1.76 | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.79 | 1.83 | 1.84 | 1.83 | ||||||
| Applied Materials Inc. | 1.79 | 1.76 | 1.81 | 1.88 | 2.01 | 2.06 | 2.08 | 2.19 | 2.17 | 2.20 | 2.14 | 2.11 | 2.03 | 2.01 | 2.03 | 2.11 | 2.21 | 2.42 | 2.28 | ||||||
| Broadcom Inc. | 2.56 | 2.50 | 2.53 | 3.04 | 3.24 | 3.26 | 3.13 | 3.23 | 3.42 | 3.42 | 3.19 | 3.03 | 3.12 | 3.15 | 3.21 | 3.18 | 3.37 | 3.41 | 3.32 | ||||||
| Intel Corp. | 1.94 | 1.79 | 1.82 | 1.81 | 1.85 | 1.84 | 1.89 | 1.80 | 1.75 | 1.68 | 1.71 | 1.77 | 1.86 | 1.81 | 1.89 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| KLA Corp. | 4.83 | 4.69 | 4.73 | 4.82 | 5.10 | 5.27 | 6.24 | 8.99 | 2.95 | 2.89 | 2.89 | 3.04 | 3.19 | 3.34 | 3.39 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Lam Research Corp. | 2.28 | 2.28 | 2.30 | 2.29 | 2.29 | 2.31 | 2.53 | 2.74 | 2.75 | 2.58 | 2.67 | 2.64 | 2.85 | 2.79 | 2.78 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Micron Technology Inc. | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.49 | 1.46 | 1.45 | 1.41 | 1.38 | 1.33 | 1.32 | 1.33 | 1.33 | 1.34 | 1.32 | 1.33 | 1.35 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| NVIDIA Corp. | 1.63 | 1.80 | 1.81 | 1.86 | 1.90 | 1.82 | 1.72 | 1.66 | 1.71 | 1.83 | 1.64 | 1.70 | 1.75 | 1.81 | 1.78 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Qualcomm Inc. | 2.14 | 2.17 | 2.26 | 2.37 | 2.37 | 2.46 | 2.66 | 2.72 | 2.93 | 3.32 | 3.78 | 4.14 | 4.74 | 5.01 | 5.08 | 5.86 | 9.78 | 10.49 | 7.34 | ||||||
| Texas Instruments Inc. | 2.05 | 2.04 | 2.05 | 1.91 | 1.90 | 1.94 | 1.92 | 1.87 | 1.80 | 1.75 | 1.80 | 1.85 | 1.92 | 1.85 | 1.93 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q3 2024 Calculation
Financial leverage = Total assets ÷ Stockholders’ equity
= 11,436,638 ÷ 7,593,648 = 1.51
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
- Total Assets
-
Total assets demonstrated a generally upward trend over the entire period under review. Starting from approximately $6.9 billion at the end of Q1 2020, there was a moderate increase through 2020 and 2021, with total assets reaching about $7.4 billion by Q4 2021.
From 2022 onwards, the growth rate accelerated notably. By Q4 2022, total assets rose to approximately $8.3 billion and continued expanding briskly throughout 2023, reaching around $9.6 billion by the end of that year. The trend persisted into early 2024 with assets surpassing $11.4 billion by Q3 2024, indicating sustained expansion of asset base during these periods.
- Stockholders’ Equity
-
Stockholders’ equity also followed an ascending trend, although at a more moderate pace compared to total assets. Commencing at about $5.2 billion in Q1 2020, equity increased steadily through 2020 and 2021, peaking just shy of $6 billion by Q4 2021.
The equity value displayed slight fluctuations during 2022, with a marginal dip followed by stabilization around $5.8 to $5.9 billion. Subsequently, from early 2023, stockholders’ equity consistently rose, reaching approximately $6.3 billion by Q4 2023.
The upward movement continued into 2024, culminating near $7.6 billion by Q3 2024, reflecting ongoing strengthening of the company's equity base but at a slower growth rate relative to total assets.
- Financial Leverage Ratio
-
The financial leverage ratio, calculated as total assets divided by stockholders’ equity, showed a relatively stable profile initially, hovering between 1.25 and 1.35 from Q1 2020 through Q4 2021. This stability indicated moderate use of debt relative to equity during this period.
Beginning in early 2022, the financial leverage ratio increased noticeably, rising from around 1.26 in Q1 2022 to a peak of approximately 1.56 by mid-2024. This rising trend in leverage suggests that the company increasingly relied on debt or other liabilities to finance its asset growth.
Although there was a slight decline in leverage ratio near Q3 2024, the overall tendency over the years implies a higher degree of financial leverage, potentially reflecting strategic decisions to utilize debt financing to support expansion or asset acquisition.
- Overall Interpretation
-
The analysis reveals a consistent expansion in both total assets and stockholders’ equity, with asset growth outpacing equity growth, particularly from 2022 onward. This dynamic has caused an increase in financial leverage, indicating a growing proportion of liabilities relative to equity.
Such a pattern may reflect an intentional approach to leverage for growth, but it also signals increased financial risk due to higher indebtedness. The moderate equity growth suggests reinvestment or retained earnings but not enough to match the pace of asset acquisition or expansion fully funded by equity.
Interest Coverage
First Solar Inc., interest coverage calculation (quarterly data)
| Sep 30, 2024 | Jun 30, 2024 | Mar 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2023 | Sep 30, 2023 | Jun 30, 2023 | Mar 31, 2023 | Dec 31, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Jun 30, 2022 | Mar 31, 2022 | Dec 31, 2021 | Sep 30, 2021 | Jun 30, 2021 | Mar 31, 2021 | Dec 31, 2020 | Sep 30, 2020 | Jun 30, 2020 | Mar 31, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected Financial Data (US$ in thousands) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 312,956) | 349,356) | 236,616) | 349,239) | 268,398) | 170,579) | 42,561) | (7,548) | (49,168) | 55,805) | (43,255) | 131,370) | 45,203) | 82,449) | 209,671) | 115,703) | 155,037) | 36,911) | 90,704) | ||||||
| Add: Income tax expense | 14,386) | 27,775) | 18,903) | 27,442) | 22,067) | 17,892) | (6,888) | 976) | (12,512) | 83,799) | (19,499) | 35,796) | 837) | 20,346) | 46,490) | (66,400) | 38,107) | 10,214) | (89,215) | ||||||
| Add: Interest expense, net | 9,008) | 9,765) | 9,210) | 7,068) | 3,734) | 1,415) | 748) | 3,133) | 2,991) | 3,236) | 2,865) | 2,530) | 2,958) | 4,623) | 2,996) | 3,018) | 10,975) | 3,254) | 6,789) | ||||||
| Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) | 336,350) | 386,896) | 264,729) | 383,749) | 294,199) | 189,886) | 36,421) | (3,439) | (58,689) | 142,840) | (59,889) | 169,696) | 48,998) | 107,418) | 259,157) | 52,321) | 204,119) | 50,379) | 8,278) | ||||||
| Solvency Ratio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest coverage1 | 39.14 | 44.65 | 52.86 | 69.75 | 57.26 | 19.81 | 11.59 | 1.70 | 16.69 | 26.03 | 20.52 | 44.65 | 34.42 | 28.83 | 27.96 | 13.11 | 7.29 | 1.22 | -1.10 | ||||||
| Benchmarks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest Coverage, Competitors2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc. | 15.91 | 10.78 | 7.65 | 5.79 | 1.05 | -2.15 | 2.73 | 14.61 | 33.91 | 69.08 | 104.42 | 109.09 | 87.31 | 63.00 | 41.84 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Analog Devices Inc. | 6.89 | 8.74 | 11.83 | 14.63 | 17.96 | 19.23 | 19.42 | 16.46 | 10.14 | 9.06 | 7.26 | 8.19 | 11.64 | 10.46 | 9.14 | 7.79 | 7.05 | 6.72 | 6.99 | ||||||
| Applied Materials Inc. | 36.27 | 36.06 | 34.86 | 33.42 | 32.62 | 33.39 | 34.20 | 34.33 | 34.58 | 34.95 | 33.14 | 29.69 | 26.24 | 21.94 | 19.19 | 18.36 | 16.68 | 15.79 | 15.35 | ||||||
| Broadcom Inc. | 3.94 | 4.91 | 6.88 | 10.31 | 10.09 | 9.94 | 8.83 | 8.16 | 7.22 | 6.28 | 5.69 | 4.59 | 4.06 | 3.40 | 2.82 | 2.37 | 2.19 | 2.24 | 2.50 | ||||||
| KLA Corp. | 11.00 | 11.51 | 13.03 | 13.76 | 15.81 | 18.22 | 20.31 | 22.76 | 21.81 | 20.60 | 17.91 | 16.00 | 14.05 | 10.71 | 9.97 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Micron Technology Inc. | -2.13 | -7.02 | -13.14 | -13.58 | -7.73 | 10.11 | 36.19 | 51.66 | 58.47 | 51.74 | 45.03 | 35.18 | 24.82 | 19.35 | 17.83 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| NVIDIA Corp. | 82.40 | 43.66 | 18.63 | 16.96 | 23.23 | 31.40 | 39.65 | 43.12 | 38.65 | 34.29 | 26.81 | 24.96 | 28.27 | 34.95 | 56.66 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Qualcomm Inc. | 14.25 | 13.43 | 12.44 | 11.72 | 15.28 | 22.27 | 26.92 | 31.61 | 31.54 | 24.20 | 21.71 | 19.38 | 18.60 | 16.10 | 13.40 | 10.50 | 6.17 | 13.70 | 13.71 | ||||||
| Texas Instruments Inc. | 12.85 | 14.57 | 17.87 | 22.01 | 26.51 | 33.49 | 42.10 | 47.88 | 51.88 | 52.00 | 51.03 | 49.47 | 46.81 | 42.15 | 36.25 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-03-31).
1 Q3 2024 Calculation
Interest coverage
= (EBITQ3 2024
+ EBITQ2 2024
+ EBITQ1 2024
+ EBITQ4 2023)
÷ (Interest expenseQ3 2024
+ Interest expenseQ2 2024
+ Interest expenseQ1 2024
+ Interest expenseQ4 2023)
= (336,350 + 386,896 + 264,729 + 383,749)
÷ (9,008 + 9,765 + 9,210 + 7,068)
= 39.14
2 Click competitor name to see calculations.
The analysis of the quarterly financial data reveals significant fluctuations in the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) over the examined periods. Initially, EBIT showed a positive increase from March 2020 to September 2020, reaching a peak in that quarter. However, this was followed by a sharp decline in December 2020. A substantial recovery occurred in the first quarter of 2021 with EBIT escalating to a high point, but subsequent quarters exhibited volatility with notable declines and rebounds, including negative EBIT in March 2022 and September 2022. The most recent quarters display a strong upward trend, culminating in the highest EBIT recorded in December 2023, followed by sustained high levels through September 2024, despite a slight dip in the final quarter reported.
Interest expense, net, remained relatively stable throughout the periods with minor variations. It slightly decreased in some quarters, such as an observable dip in the first half of 2023, but generally maintained a range between roughly 2,500 to 10,000 thousand US dollars. The most recent quarters show increased interest expenses, peaking in September 2024 before a small reduction.
The interest coverage ratio demonstrates an overall strong ability to cover interest expenses with EBIT, although it shows marked variability across quarters. Early quarters in 2020 had low or even negative coverage, but from mid-2020 onwards, the ratio generally increased, reaching very high values exceeding 50 in multiple quarters during 2021 and 2023. Despite temporary declines, the ratio has consistently remained above 10 since mid-2020, indicating improved and strong earnings relative to interest costs. The highest interest coverage ratios were observed in December 2023 and June 2024, suggesting excellent financial health in terms of meeting interest obligations during these periods. The recent quarters show a slight downward trend but still maintain robust coverage above 30.
- EBIT
- Highly variable with peaks in September 2020, March 2021, and December 2023; includes periods of negative EBIT such as March 2022 and September 2022; strong upward trend in late 2023 and 2024.
- Interest Expense, Net
- Relatively stable with minor fluctuations, ranging from around 2,500 to 10,000 thousand USD; increased somewhat in 2024.
- Interest Coverage Ratio
- Improved significantly from early 2020, reaching high ratios above 50 in several quarters; remains strong above 30 in recent quarters despite slight decrease; reflects strong earnings capacity compared to interest expenses.