First Solar, Inc. vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? First Solar, Inc. trades at $217.84 (market cap $24.05B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $22.67 (market cap $65.12B). The key difference: United Microelectronics Corp is far larger — about 2.7× First Solar, Inc.'s market cap, and United Microelectronics Corp pays a 1.65% dividend while First Solar, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| FSLR | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $24.05B | $65.12B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $318.30 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $166.82 | $6.58 |
Enterprise Value | $22.21B | $62.70B |
Dividend Yield | — | 1.65% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
First Solar (FSLR) trades at $220.58, down 0.2% on the day, with a bearish technical signal driven by moving averages. The company shows strong fundamentals with a P/E of 14.46, net income margin of 30.73%, and robust cash flow from operations of $2.06B in 2025. Recent earnings beat in Q1 2026 but missed in prior quarters. Multiple class-action lawsuits filed in July 2026 allege securities fraud, creating near-term legal overhang.
The stock presents a mixed outlook: solid profitability and analyst consensus price target of $275.17 suggest upside, but legal risks and bearish technicals weigh. Investors face tension between strong financial health and potential volatility from litigation outcomes.
UMC trades at $23.84, up 1.62% today, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The stock shows strong profitability with a 20.25% net income margin and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights mass production milestones in silicon photonics and June 2026 sales growth of 22.85% year-over-year, indicating robust operational momentum.
The outlook is positive due to consistent earnings beats and specialty technology advancements, but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 40.46 pose risks. Analyst sentiment is mixed with a 26.67% buy rating, suggesting cautious optimism amid competitive and macroeconomic pressures in the semiconductor sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
First Solar designs and manufactures solar photovoltaic panels, modules, and systems for use in utility-scale development projects. The company's solar modules use cadmium telluride to convert sunlight into electricity. This is commonly called thin-film technology. First Solar is the world's largest thin-film solar module manufacturer. It has production lines in Vietnam, Malaysia, the United States, and a new factory under construction in India.
Read more on FSLR →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →