Lots of analyst reaction to First Solar (FSLR) earnings last night. Here’s the run down with a hat tip to Street Insider for the analyst commentary.
Buy Ratings
Brigantine Advisors reiterates its Buy rating and raises the price target from $144 to $150.
“Investor sentiment in the solar sector has been weak for much of this year, and we think the strong report from First Solar will go a long way to allay most concerns. … Read the rest
Lazard Capital noted that on Friday, the DOE’s big $528 million loan to Fisker Automotive for the development of its Karma and Nina electric vehicles closed. As the only battery supplier to Fisker, it represents a big opportunity for A123. Lazard maintains a Buy rating on the stock. On April 12th, Lazard confirmed that Chrysler will use A123 lithium batteries in its Fiat 500 line of electric cars which Lazard believes could be a … Read the rest
The upgrades keep coming in for Suntech Power (STP) and JA Solar (JASO). Yesterday they were upgraded by Barclays and this morning Thomas Weisel is doing the same, upgrading both from Underweight to Market Weight. Both stocks are holding yesterday’s breakout moves well despite heavy selling in the overall market today. While it could be a rocky ride, solar stocks are increasingly showing signs that the bottom is in.
Itron (ITRI), the smart grid behemoth … Read the rest