MEMC CEO Forgoes Bonus; Money Will Go to Retrain Workers

But what's refreshing here is that Chatila decided to have the company change an agreement that had him accepting a minimum bonus of $500,000, redirecting the money into a retraining fund. When the 450 workers see their plants closed in 2010 and 2011, the retraining will come in addition to other severance, training, and benefits awarded. To see a CEO in big business turning down money in order to take care of employees impacted by the recession -- that's refreshing.

Not only that, but it also gave me reason to take a look at the solar-related company -- something I haven't done in quite some time. A monthly view of WFR stock performance shows the heights it found in late 2007/early 2008 -- right when it was vogue to be in the solar industry.

Unfortunately for WFR shareholders, the bubble quickly burst, pushing the stock into the tight trading range it currently calls home. This range is defined by the $10 level on the bottom and the $20/$21 region on the top. It is possible that the shares could propel themselves through overhead resistance to reclaim levels from their heyday, but not that probable. There may be some push from the government as green policies are adopted, but I'm not guessing that various layers of potential resistance are going to fall by the wayside. Just ask the dot-commers: once a bubble bursts, it sure is hard to re-inflate.