This morning Think Equity has upgraded JA Solar JA Solar (JASO) from Hold to Buy and upgraded Suntech Power (STP) from Sell to Hold. JASO is moving up 2% in premarket trading while STP is down a bit. Get a free trend analysis for JASO and STP.
On the LED front Merriman Curhan Ford is reiterating its Buy rating on Veeco Instruments and raised the price target range about 30% to $54-66. Says Merriman, … Read the rest
Bronte Capital issued a report on why it’s short First Solar (FSLR) which by the way recently broke through a nearly one year down trend and cleared the 200 day moving average. From a technical standpoint, it’s looking increasingly bullish, so the bearish case from Bronte is all the more interesting. Of course, if the market falls off a cliff from these levels (and the Goldman Sachs (GS) news may make that a reality), then … Read the rest
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released its 2009 review today indicating strong growth across the solar market last year. Here are some highlights…
* US solar electricity capacity increased 37% driven by strong demand in residential and utility scale markets
* 17K new solar jobs created for a total of 46K in the US
* Industry revenue grew 38% to nearly $4 billion
* Solar manufacturing production increased 7% from 2008
* Residential grid-tied … Read the rest
Over at SeekingAlpha.com, Kelvin Schulle makes a good case for being bullish on both JA Solar (JASO) and Canadian Solar (CSIQ) which he believes are gaining significant market share.
Here are some highlights..
On JASO:
– company improving marketing and diversifying its customer base to include emerging markets
– continuing to improve panel efficiency
– China demand continues to improve
They will report earnings May 19th.
Get more JASO analysis here
On CSIQ:
– its … Read the rest
A couple Buy ratings to tell you about this morning. Deutsche Bank has upgraded American Superconductor (AMSC) to Buy and raised the price target $38. Hat tip to Street Insider for the following analyst comment:
“On fears of slowing demand for wind power in China, AMSC’s shares have underperformed the R2000 by 39% YTD. We expect this to reverse over the next 6 months following bullish FY10 guidance (in mid May), new wins (including follow-on … Read the rest
LDK Solar just announced that it has signed a supply agreement with Phoenix Solar. Per the agreement, LDK will provide Phoenix with approximately 20 megawatts of solar modules later this year.
In a press release, Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar, commented on the news:
“We are proud to partner with Phoenix Solar, an international leader in system integration as well as specialist for large-scale PV plants. Our PV modules are meeting … Read the rest
Coming this summer will be travel bags from Samsonite providing a portable power solution via Ascent Solar (ASTI) thin film CIGS solar panels. The two companies have been working together for some time and this morning announced the first fruit of their collaboration. The power providing luggage will allow travelers to keep those electronic gadgets charged while on the move. Better leave those bags in the sunlight though. It will be interesting to read the … Read the rest
Trina Solar and Suntech Power Holdings have taken a combined $11.72 billion in loans from China Development Bank, according to Reuters. Suntech’s agreement with CDB will provide access to $7.33 billion in loans over a 5-year period. Trina Solar now has a loan agreement with CDB worth $4.40 billion that will last through 2015.
Both companies plan to use the loans for expansion.
For example, Trina Chief Financial Officer Terry Wang told Reuters,
“As … Read the rest
Solar analyst Mark Bachman of Auriga USA (formerly of Pacific Crest) initiated coverage of several solar stocks after the bell today. Hat tip to Street Insider for the following analyst comments:
Trina Solar (TSL) initiated at Buy with $34 price target (about 30% above current levels). More TSL analysis here
“We initiate coverage of Trina Solar with a Buy rating as the most under appreciated Chinese solar company we follow. While the stock is up … Read the rest
Applied Materials just announced the opening of its new global manufacturing hub in Singapore. The Singapore Operations Center will produce advanced semiconductor equipment and is Applied Materials’ first Asian facility of its type. Applied Materials chose Singapore in part because it is close to many of the company’s existing customers and suppliers, and it plans to eventually employ 800 people at the center.
In a press release, Mike Splinter, chairman and chief executive officer of … Read the rest