FSLR vs. SITM: First Solar vs. SiTime Stock Comparison
How do First Solar (FSLR) and SiTime (SITM) 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 SiTime (SITM) are both classified in the Semiconductors sub-industry within the broader Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | First Solar Inc. | SiTime Corporation |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Semiconductors | Semiconductors |
| Market Capitalization | 21.62 billion USD | 12.59 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | November 17, 2006 | November 20, 2019 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -28.81% | 40.83% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.86% | 62.79% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.80% | 13.55% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 52.55% | 88.57% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.67 | 2.87 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -59.97% | -78.12% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.40M | 535.52K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.63 | 0.41 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.85 | 0.66 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
First Solar (FSLR) at 18.71% is around its peer norm for ROE, while SiTime (SITM) at 1.15% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.
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%
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
1.15%
- Max
- 52.82%
- Q3
- 22.26%
- Median
- 10.58%
- Q1
- 1.29%
- SITM
- 1.15%
- Min
- -16.89%
Net Margin (TTM)
First Solar (FSLR) at 37.12% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of SiTime (SITM) at 3.87%, 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%
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
3.87%
- Max
- 63.80%
- Q3
- 28.36%
- Median
- 11.44%
- SITM
- 3.87%
- Q1
- 0.90%
- Min
- -37.77%
Operating Margin (TTM)
First Solar (FSLR) at 44.37% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of SiTime (SITM) at 9.92%, 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%
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
9.92%
- Max
- 58.66%
- Q3
- 30.23%
- Median
- 15.91%
- SITM
- 9.92%
- Q1
- 7.54%
- Min
- -25.74%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 18.71% | 1.15% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.60% | 0.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 37.12% | 3.87% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 44.37% | 9.92% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 49.25% | 56.24% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
SiTime (SITM) at 61.16% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while First Solar (FSLR) at 24.09% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for SITM.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: First Solar (FSLR) reports EPS growth of 18.22%, ranked against its industry; SiTime (SITM) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 24.09% | 61.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 25.84% | 4.82% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 18.22% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both First Solar (FSLR) at 2.57 and SiTime (SITM) at 5.56 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
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
5.56
- Max
- 10.33
- Q3
- 5.62
- SITM
- 5.56
- Median
- 3.33
- Q1
- 2.35
- Min
- 1.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
First Solar (FSLR) at 0.03 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while SiTime (SITM) at 0.38 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
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.38
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.65
- SITM
- 0.38
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.57 | 5.56 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.52 | 6.66 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither First Solar (FSLR) nor SiTime (SITM) 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%
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 1.37%
- Q3
- 0.65%
- SITM
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither First Solar (FSLR) nor SiTime (SITM) 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%
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 49.64%
- Q3
- 21.71%
- SITM
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| 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 SiTime (SITM) at 416.92 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.
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
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
416.92
- SITM
- 416.92
- Max
- 110.34
- Q3
- 66.81
- Median
- 37.02
- Q1
- 23.96
- Min
- 8.12
P/S Ratio (TTM)
First Solar (FSLR) at 4.31 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while SiTime (SITM) at 18.44 sits in the pricier quartile — SITM costs more per dollar of sales.
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
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
18.44
- Max
- 21.42
- SITM
- 18.44
- Q3
- 12.27
- Median
- 5.76
- Q1
- 2.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
First Solar (FSLR) at 1.99 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while SiTime (SITM) at 3.61 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
SITM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
3.61
- Max
- 14.06
- Q3
- 7.44
- Median
- 4.29
- SITM
- 3.61
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.20
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FSLR | SITM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 11.63 | 416.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.31 | 18.44 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.99 | 3.61 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.18% | -0.05% |