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FSLR vs. ON: First Solar vs. ON Semiconductor Stock Comparison

How do First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON) are both classified in the Semiconductors sub-industry within the broader Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
Profile ItemFSLRON
NameFirst Solar Inc.ON Semiconductor Corporation
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupSemiconductors & Semiconductor EquipmentSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS IndustrySemiconductors & Semiconductor EquipmentSemiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment
GICS Sub-IndustrySemiconductorsSemiconductors
Market Capitalization21.62 billion USD24.65 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateNovember 17, 2006May 2, 2000
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

FSLR
ON
GSPC
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Total Return (1Y)-28.81%43.93%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)12.86%2.27%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.80%3.42%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

FSLR
ON
GSPC
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)52.55%64.26%
Beta (5Y)1.672.14
Max Drawdown (5Y)-59.97%-70.44%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.40M10.22M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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FSLR and ON are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.630.62
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.850.88

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both First Solar (FSLR) at 18.71% and ON Semiconductor (ON) at 8.91% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

18.71%

Max
52.82%
Q3
22.26%
FSLR
18.71%
Median
10.58%
Q1
1.29%
Min
-16.89%

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

8.91%

Max
52.82%
Q3
22.26%
Median
10.58%
ON
8.91%
Q1
1.29%
Min
-16.89%
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their ROE against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

First Solar (FSLR) at 37.12% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of ON Semiconductor (ON) at 10.82%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

37.12%

Max
63.80%
FSLR
37.12%
Q3
28.36%
Median
11.44%
Q1
0.90%
Min
-37.77%

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

10.82%

Max
63.80%
Q3
28.36%
Median
11.44%
ON
10.82%
Q1
0.90%
Min
-37.77%
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their net margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

First Solar (FSLR) at 44.37% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of ON Semiconductor (ON) at 22.23%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

44.37%

Max
58.66%
FSLR
44.37%
Q3
30.23%
Median
15.91%
Q1
7.54%
Min
-25.74%

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

22.23%

Max
58.66%
Q3
30.23%
ON
22.23%
Median
15.91%
Q1
7.54%
Min
-25.74%
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their operating margin against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
ROE (TTM)18.71%8.91%
ROA (TTM)8.60%6.03%
Net Margin (TTM)37.12%10.82%
Operating Margin (TTM)44.37%22.23%
Gross Margin (TTM)49.25%39.90%

Growth

Revenue Growth

First Solar (FSLR) at 24.09% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while ON Semiconductor (ON) at -15.35% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

First Solar (FSLR) at 18.22% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while ON Semiconductor (ON) at -92.01% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Revenue Growth (YoY)24.09%-15.35%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)25.84%-10.37%
EPS Growth (YoY)18.22%-92.01%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)---59.10%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both First Solar (FSLR) at 2.57 and ON Semiconductor (ON) at 3.55 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

2.57

Max
10.33
Q3
5.62
Median
3.33
FSLR
2.57
Q1
2.35
Min
1.03

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

3.55

Max
10.33
Q3
5.62
ON
3.55
Median
3.33
Q1
2.35
Min
1.03
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their current ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

First Solar (FSLR) at 0.03 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while ON Semiconductor (ON) at 0.62 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.03

Max
1.46
Q3
0.65
Median
0.27
Q1
0.04
FSLR
0.03
Min
0.00

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.62

Max
1.46
Q3
0.65
ON
0.62
Median
0.27
Q1
0.04
Min
0.00
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.573.55
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.030.62
Net Debt / EBITDA-0.520.18

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Neither First Solar (FSLR) nor ON Semiconductor (ON) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
1.37%
Q3
0.65%
FSLR
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
1.37%
Q3
0.65%
ON
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Neither First Solar (FSLR) nor ON Semiconductor (ON) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
49.64%
Q3
21.71%
FSLR
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

0.00%

Max
49.64%
Q3
21.71%
ON
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

First Solar (FSLR) at 11.63 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while ON Semiconductor (ON) at 37.02 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for FSLR, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

11.63

Max
110.34
Q3
66.81
Median
37.02
Q1
23.96
FSLR
11.63
Min
8.12

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

37.02

Max
110.34
Q3
66.81
ON
37.02
Median
37.02
Q1
23.96
Min
8.12
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both First Solar (FSLR) at 4.31 and ON Semiconductor (ON) at 3.87 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

4.31

Max
21.42
Q3
12.27
Median
5.76
FSLR
4.31
Q1
2.73
Min
0.00

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

3.87

Max
21.42
Q3
12.27
Median
5.76
ON
3.87
Q1
2.73
Min
0.00
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

First Solar (FSLR) at 1.99 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while ON Semiconductor (ON) at 3.26 is valued near its industry’s middle — FSLR is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

FSLR

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

1.99

Max
14.06
Q3
7.44
Median
4.29
Q1
2.30
FSLR
1.99
Min
0.20

ON

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group

3.26

Max
14.06
Q3
7.44
Median
4.29
ON
3.26
Q1
2.30
Min
0.20
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First Solar (FSLR) vs. ON Semiconductor (ON): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for First Solar (FSLR) and ON Semiconductor (ON)
MetricFSLRON
P/E Ratio (TTM)11.6337.02
P/S Ratio (TTM)4.313.87
P/B Ratio (MRQ)1.993.26
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.18%6.55%