SunPower (SPWRA) saw an increase of more than 10% in its stock price on March 15. This trend was seen across almost all companies in the solar industry, including SunPower's competitors FirstSolar (FSLR), SuntechPower (STP), and Yingli Green Energy (YGE).

Our price estimate for SunPower's stock is at $14.41, about 10% below its current market price.

Continue reading SunPower's Outlook Brightens as Concerns on Nuclear Rise

SunPower's Outlook Brightens as Concerns on Nuclear Rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First Solar (FSLR)is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor technology. The firm also designs, constructs and sells photovoltaic solar power systems to customers around the world. First Solar competes with other solar industry players like SunPower(SPWRA), Suntech Power(STP) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Com.

Continue reading Coverage Launch: $153 Trefis Price Estimate for First Solar

Coverage Launch: $153 Trefis Price Estimate for First Solar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

They don't all work out. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (STP), first discussed here on July 28, 2009 at a price of $19.24, was stopped-out at $8 in late August, for an 11-point loss.

Suntech's shares, a high-risk stock, had recovered to about $11 in mid-summer after plunging in bear-hug fashion this spring from about $16 to $8.40.

The calculation in the summer was that photovoltaic cell manufacturer Suntech's long-term business prospects in China would offset short-term hits to revenue, due to price declines.

Continue reading Suntech Power: Stopped-Out for Loss

Suntech Power: Stopped-Out for Loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Two Stocks to Buy Now: Could One Be a Ten-Bagger?

Two Stocks to Buy Now: Could One Be a Ten-Bagger? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's all well and good to say a stock posting improving earnings is a good buy with upside potential. But how much upside? The truth is that picking stocks capable of dramatic gains -- potentially as much as doubling your money -- is much harder. That's because charts don't offer much information for big moves like this, and efficient market theory argues against such short-term performance.

But finding doublers, while difficult, is not impossible.

Continue reading Three Stocks That Could Double in the Next Year

Three Stocks That Could Double in the Next Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This morning, JA Solar Holdings (JASO) announced that it has signed multiple supply agreements with "several customers" to provide solar cells in 2011. The company will supply the solar cells from January 2011 through December 2011, but they are accompanied with prepayments or the delivery.

The company's CEO Dr. Peng Fang stated, "We are seeing very strong demand for our technologically advanced, high-quality products from our diverse global customer base ... Our customers view JA Solar as a reliable supplier partner and rely on JA to provide them with their 2011 product requirements."

Continue reading JA Solar Lands Solar Cell Supply Agreements

JA Solar Lands Solar Cell Supply Agreements originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When Bad News Is Good News (INTC, TBT, PAR, NBG, SPWRA, TIF, F)

Closing Bell: When Bad News Is Good News (INTC, TBT, PAR, NBG, SPWRA, TIF, F) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Squeaking By (NFLX, POT, BHP, X, BZH, STP)

Closing Bell: Squeaking By (NFLX, POT, BHP, X, BZH, STP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Solarfun Notches 52-Week High After Q2 Earnings

Solarfun Notches 52-Week High After Q2 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Another Grab Bag Day (MO, AMZN, BP, NE, JASO, MU, AAPL, OREX)

Closing Bell: Another Grab Bag Day (MO, AMZN, BP, NE, JASO, MU, AAPL, OREX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A stock with room to rise, such is the current condition of First Solar Inc. (FSLR). On the one hand we have an analyst consensus of hold, due to the loss of subsidies in the company's primary market and remarkably low natural gas prices. On the other hand, we have overt optimism about the company from none other than Dow Jones, and brokerage price targets that go as high as $200. In cases such as this, I like to take a step back to look at the big picture.

FSLR is just beginning to rise from a 52-week low. The company's balance sheet is rock solid, its reputation is gleaming, and the market for its goods is strong. Estimates indicate that the global volume of solar installations slated for 2010 will be nearly double the 2009 level of 6.4 gigawatts.

Continue reading First Solar: A Stock with Room to Rise

First Solar: A Stock with Room to Rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Suntech Power Is a High Risk Investment with Considerable Upside Potential

Suntech Power Is a High Risk Investment with Considerable Upside Potential originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The U.S. Department of Energy is becoming a major venture capital player. The government agency is shooting to dish out -- through loans and grants -- more than $40 billion to companies in the clean technology space. The DOE is looking to fund a wide range of businesses in this space from solar panels to electric cars. In the first three quarters of this year, the department pushed out $13 billion under this model, far ahead of the $2.68 billion that venture capital funds pumped into the sector.

So far, more than 40 companies involved in the auto industry have pursued DOE cash. They have their collective eye on the $25 billion in federal low interest loans that have been allocated to the sector.

Continue reading DOE drives clean-tech venture capital market

DOE drives clean-tech venture capital market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you still doubt that the next bubble will be green, check out the latest from California. Green and clean technology gigs surged 36% from 1995 to 2008, beating the state's overall 13% job-growth rate for the same period, according to Silicon Valley-based research firm Collaborative Economics. Since California's on the leading edge of this sector, many see it as a sign of things to come for the rest of the country.

As of January 2008, there were only 159,000 green jobs in California, less than 1% of the state's total, following year-over-year growth of 5%. But, during that same period, total jobs in the state dropped 1%, suggesting that jobs in sustainability just might be more sustainable. Though these may seem like small numbers, keep in mind that the green sector job market is twice the size of the state's biotech presence and two-thirds the size of the software industry.

Continue reading California tops U.S. for green jobs

California tops U.S. for green jobs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading LDK Solar posts stronger-than-expected, third-quarter earnings

LDK Solar posts stronger-than-expected, third-quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Perhaps a bit of the shine is wearing off of solar stocks. Solar panel company ReneSola (SOL) turned in a third-quarter loss of $10.2 million, or seven cents per share, compared to earnings of 23 cents per share ($32.4 million) a year ago. Quarterly revenue fell to $141 million from $216 million a year ago. Expectations called for a loss of eight cents per share on revenue of $135.5 million.

The company stated, "We witnessed a strong rebound in customer demand for our quality products in the third quarter of 2009 and reached a corporate landmark as ReneSola achieved the highest quarterly shipments of solar products in its history." I'm not buying it. SOL saw earnings and revenue walk off a cliff when compared to a year ago ... so let's make sure that we talk about great customer demand. Of course, customer demand wasn't good enough to help you swing to a third-quarter profit.

Continue reading ReneSola turns in a third-quarter loss

ReneSola turns in a third-quarter loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

General Electric Company (NYSE GE) plans to ramp up its solar power division. GE already has a foot in the market, but up to this point it has produced only $200 million in sales.

GE made a minor acquisition in the solar field with the purchase of Astropower, and it acquired a stake in PrimeStar Solar. Now GE is taking a long-term view of the energy market and sees it as a multi-billion dollar industry. Jeff Immelt, GE's chief executive officer, told the Financial Times that energy was "clearly one of the big industrial businesses filled with what I would call seismic change, whether it's clean energy or scarcity of resources."

Continue reading GE to increase its solar power production

GE to increase its solar power production originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), a maker of solar photovoltaic products and a colleague of Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP), issued second-quarter results on Monday after the market closed. According to Reuters, Trina Solar beat market expectations.

Revenues decreased over 26% year-over-year (according to the actual press release, revenues increased over 13% on a sequential basis). Net income was 71 cents per American depositary share (ADS). Analysts were betting on 37 cents per ADS being the likely profit figure.

Continue reading Trina Solar increases profit and gross margin in Q2

Trina Solar increases profit and gross margin in Q2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm indecisive about Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT). The semiconductor company, which also works with solar photovoltaic cells, is starting to look like a good trade to me. However, I still shudder when I examine the numbers. What I've got to keep telling myself, I guess, is that the market is a discounting mechanism, and that now may be the time to act.

According to the press release, which was issued after the market closed on Tuesday, net sales decreased 39% in the third quarter. Adjusted earnings came in at 0 cents per share. That was obviously much less than the 17 cents per share earned one year ago. According to Reuters, which made a further adjustment for equity-based compensation, Applied Materials lost 3 cents per share. The market was expecting a loss of 8 cents per share. The top line beat projections as well.

Continue reading Applied Materials beats in Q3: Time to trade?

Applied Materials beats in Q3: Time to trade? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL) provides R&D services to the U.S. military and other government agencies; it's become the world's leading authority on ultracapacitors," says Timothy Lutts.

In The Cabot Stock of the Month report, he explains, "Ultracapacitors are handy little electronic devices that store and release electric energy more efficiently than batteries; they can be 10 times lighter than batteries and store and distribute energy 10 times more effciently than batteries."

"So what are ultracapacitors good for? Today, Maxwell-the primary American ultracapacitor manufacturer-is focusing its efforts on two fast-growing young industries: wind turbines and hybrid/electric vehicles.

Continue reading Maxwell (MXWL): Bet on a better battery

Maxwell (MXWL): Bet on a better battery originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.