Does First Solar have an economic moat?
Not clearly
First Solar earns 9.6% a year on the money invested in it, a return competitors could match.
The numbers behind it
Return on invested capital, average of recent years9.6%
Return on invested capital, latest year15.4%
Gross margin40.6%Share of each sale left after production costs
Net margin29.3%
How we decide
A moat shows up in the numbers as high returns that last. We call it likely when the average return on invested capital over recent years is at least 15% and the gross margin at least 40%, and possible from 10%. The numbers can't show where a moat comes from (brand, network, patents), only that one seems to exist.
More questions about First Solar
Data as of Nov 13, 2026.