Last week, JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) posted a quarterly loss and lowered its guidance. But as interest in alternative energy continues to grow, analysts polled by Thomson Financial are still looking for good things from solar energy concerns scheduled to report earnings this week.

Strong growth at Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) in the third quarter prompted it to lift its guidance back in October. Analysts expect the Chinese company to post profits that are 76.3% higher than a year ago, or $1.18 per share on revenues of $268.4 million (+225.0%). Though Trina Solar missed estimates in the second quarter, analysts on average recommend buying TSL. Shares are down 81.4% from a year ago and trading near an all-time low.

Earnings of rival LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) are expect to have risen 47.9% to $0.71 per share on revenues of $486.7 million (+206.6%). Also based in China, LDK has not missed estimates in recent quarters; in fact, it blew past expectations in the second quarter. Yet the consensus recommendation is to hold LDK. Like Trina Solar, LDK's shares are trading near an all-time low; the share price has fallen 50.0% in the past year.

Analysts anticipate third-quarter earnings for Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) to be a whopping 96.3% higher than a year ago, or $0.54 per share on revenues of $248.0 million (+154.5%). The company easily topped estimates in the previous quarter. ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) are also expected to report earnings growth of 29.7% ($0.37 per share) and 23.8% ($0.42 per share), respectively. All three of these stocks reached 52-week lows last week, and all are considered buys.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: McGraw-Hill (MHP), Stein Mart (SMRT), USG Corp (USG) and Seacoast Banking (SBCF) were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• JP Morgan downgraded shares of McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) to Neutral from Overweight based on expectations for a decline in credit market issuance activity.

• Stein Mart (NASDAQ: SMRT) was cut to Sell from Neutral at Merrill, citing macroeconomic concerns and the impact on margins and comps.

• Matrix cut USG (NYSE: USG) to Sell from Buy and removed them from the Focus List, Matrix cited the 55% cut in excess cash per share over the past year, which makes shares expensive on a performance-adjusted basis.

• Stifel views Seacoast Banking (NASDAQ: SBCF) as overvalued, downgrading shares to Sell from Hold, given earnings growth headwinds from credit quality and net interest margin compression...

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Tenneco Automotive (NYSE: TEN) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.

• Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) was downgraded to Hold from Buy at Stifel.

• Keefe Bruyette cut Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC) to Underperform from Market Perform.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

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MOST NOTEWORTHY: Christopher & Banks Corp (CBK), Tiffany & Co (TIF), Sterling Financial Corp (SLFI), and Komag, Inc (KOMG) were today's most noteworthy downgrades:

• Matrix believes lower selling prices and volumes are negatively affecting Christopher & Banks' (NYSE: CBK) margins and downgraded to Sell from Hold.

• Tiffany & Co (NYSE: TIF) was cut to Neutral from Overweight at HSBC based on valuation.

• Suntrust downgraded shares of Sterling Financial (NASDAQ: SLFI) to Reduce from Neutral given the charge from an ongoing investigation into the irregularities discovered with certain financing contracts of affiliate Equipment Finance LLC.

• Komag (NASDAQ: KOMG) was cut to Hold from Strong Buy at Needham after the company pre-announced lower-than-expected second quarter results. Bear Stearns downgraded shares of Komag to Peer Perform from Outperform...

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• First Albany downgraded Iomai Corp (NASDAQ: IOMI) to Neutral from Buy.

• Calyon cut Apache Corp (NYSE: APA) to Add from Buy.

• Morgan Joseph downgraded Stein Mart, Inc (NASDAQ: SMRT) to Hold from Buy.

• Societe General cut BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) to Hold from Buy and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) to Sell from Hold.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Shutterfly, Inc (SFLY), Marvel Entertainment, Inc (MVL), National CineMedia, Inc (NCMI) and Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) were some of today's noteworthy initiations:

• Cantor sees significant opportunities for growth at Shutterfly Inc (NASDAQ: SFLY), driven by new business lines, international expansion and new products, among other things, and started SFLY Shares with a Buy rating.

• Stifel initiated Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) with a Buy rating and believes the impending film slate provides a long-term growth opportunity and serves as a catalyst.

• Thomas Weisel started National CineMedia Inc (NASDAQ: NCMI) with an Overweight rating, as the firm still believes the company is among the fastest-growing, ad-supported media companies in the U.S. given its ownership in NCM LLC, which has established a leadership position in the cinema advertising market.

• FTN Midwest started Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE: WMT) with a Neutral rating.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Jefferies started Conexant Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CNXT) with a Hold rating.

• Wachovia initiated NYMEX Holdings, Inc (NYSE: NMX) with an Outperform rating.

• Goldman Sachs started LSI Corp (NYSE: LSI) with a Neutral rating.

• Citigroup started Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) with a Buy rating.

• Stein Mart, Inc (NASDAQ: SMRT) was initiated Morgan Joseph with a Buy rating.

• Citigroup started Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) with a Hold rating based on valuation.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).