First Solar (FSLR) saw a jump in stock prices after the company announced full-year 2013 guidance, as well as the acquisition of TetraSun. The company also announced of their financial targets through 2015. In 2013, First Solar projects it will sell between 1.6 and 1.8 gigawatts of solar systems, and the company expects to generate between $0.8 and $1 billion in operating cash flow. The Motley Fool wonders, "Did First Solar just upend the solar industry?":
What First Solar has done is flip its position in the industry. Instead of playing a constant game of catch-up with Chinese competitors it may now have a slight lead. Let's keep in mind that the production modules I've highlighted above are in production and they'll likely improve before we ever see a crystalline module from First Solar. So the lead First Solar appears to have above may shrink before production begins.