Posts related to ‘Green Biz’

Applied Materials 360-Degree View Before Earnings (AMAT, SMH, USD)

AMAT LogoApplied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) is on deck for earnings this afternoon right after the market closes. The chip equipment giant, and relatively new solar player, is the king of its sector to most traders and investors and will potentially have an impact on all the chip equipment stocks in the sector.  Estimates from Thomson Reuters are $0.03 EPS and $1.32 billion in revenues for its October quarter, which is also its year-end with estimates of -$0.14 EPS and $4.80 billion in revenues.

Applied Materials does represent about 13.55% of the Semiconductor HOLDRs (NYSE: SMH) ETF, but only represents about 5% of the Ultra Semiconductor ProShares (NYSE: USD) ETF.  We will be looking to its fiscal-2010 comments more than this last quarter.
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Posted on: November 11, 2009 – 12:12 pm in Alternative Energy, Earnings, Semiconductor, Technology Companies, , ,

Top 10 Earnings on Deck This Week (ERTS, ENER, PCLN, SQNM, TYC, AMAT, M, JWN, WMT, DIS)

bull-and-bear-image2Earnings season has wound down now with over 85% of the S&P 500 Index having reported.  Still, there are some key companies posting their quarterly results and some companies were screened out of this list which are still actively traded or widely held stocks.  Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER), Priceline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) and Sequenom Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) are on deck Monday. Also this week are earnings from Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC), Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE: M), are Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN). Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) are our two DJIA components reporting this week.

We have included Thomson Reuters consensus estimates and included performance and other important color where applicable.  We have shown the share performance since the March 9 close that traders mark as the official end date of the bloody bear market.  One issue to consider is that we used the performance since June 30 to keep consistency for our prior previews even though some of the quarter-ends this coming week are technically August 31.
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Posted on: November 8, 2009 – 10:26 am in Alternative Energy, Calendar, Cult Stock, Earnings, Green Biz, Retail, Semiconductor, Short Interest, , , , , , , , , ,

China Goes To Texas: The Great Wind Farm Dispute

chinaChinese interests and private capital will build a huge wind farm in West Texas. China-based wind turbine firm A-Power Energy Generation Systems (NASDAQ:APWR) will lead the project. It will cost as much sa $1.5 billion and could supply energy to nearly 180,000.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York State does not like the Texas project, although he might like it more if the turbines were destined for up-state New York. Schumer believes that $450 million in federal stimulus funds could go into the project from the government’s stimulus package. That would help to create as many as 3,000 jobs at turbine plants in China according Reuters. Read More »

Posted on: November 6, 2009 – 6:35 am in Alternative Energy, China, Green Biz,

First Solar Earnings Get Valuation Check (FSLR, TAN, KWT, ENER)

Solar Roof ImageWe have long said that this Q3 period was likely to separate the men from the boys in the solar sector.  Unfortunately, none of the men looked stronger than the boys.  Tonight’s earnings report out of First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) only reiterates the notion that solar power companies are in many ways just leveraged bets on the price of oil.  First Solar posted $1.79 EPS on $480.9 million in revenues (excluding the Sarnia project with $58 million not recognized in Q3).  Thomson Reuters had estimates pegged at $1.74 EPS and $528.78 million in revenues.  The company noted a cost per watt drop of 2.3%, but the gross margin dropped faster by 5.8%.  And there are other reasons to be cautious here.

First Solar is roughly 11% of the key solar ETF in the Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy (NYSE: TAN), and that is down 3.7% at $8.32 in the after-hours session.  The Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSE: KWT) is much thinner in trading volume and is indicated lower without much volume, but First Solar is about 8.6% of its weighting.  Many have hoped for a recovery in Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER), but that is down almost 4% at $11.02 in the after-hours session and that is on the heels of a 4.5% drop during the normal trading session.
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Posted on: October 28, 2009 – 4:42 pm in Alternative Energy, Earnings, Green Biz, , , ,

The Smart Grid Surge Hitting Home (ITRI, COMV, ELON, ED, CEG, DUK, FPL, NVE, POM, SO)

Power Lines ImageWe are seeing at least some significant moves from the company’s who have announced that they are grant recipients under part of the $3.4 billion Smart Grid pledge from the Obama administration day.  We are seeing the big moves in the companies which traders and investors believe will receive the direct orders from the utilities, and are even seeing gains down in the utilities and power companies who are getting direct grants.

Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), for smart metering systems, was up 3% at $59.56 with a $2.38 billion market cap.  Comverge, Inc. (NASDAQ: COMV), for peaking and base load capacity solutions to electric utilities, operators, and electric markets, is up 10% at $12.95 with a $286 million market cap.  Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) is up 7% at $14.70 with a $598 million market cap.
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Posted on: October 27, 2009 – 3:37 pm in Green Biz, Politics, Utilities, , , , , , , , , ,

Bankruptcy in Wind Turbine Maker Highlights Sector Risks (GE, SI, ZOLT, OTTR, BWEN)

Burning House ImageWind energy is supposed to be one of the key puzzle pieces in the quest to get off the dependence of foreign energy sources.  Yet a fairly disturbing story from the Daily Camera in Boulder. Colorado last night highlighted how all the federal grant money and all the alternative energy money in the world will still not be enough to keep every player alive.  Entegrity Wind Systems Inc. is a Canada-based wind turbine manufacturer that has based some operations in Boulder, CO.  And now the company has gone bankrupt.  In now way will this kill the efforts and ambition of the two giants in the U.S.:  General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) and Siemens AG (NYSE: SI).  It might even be good news for the giants as one less future competitor may be gone.  However, it does highlight at least some of the potential risks and ongoing risks for three smaller companies:

Posted on: October 27, 2009 – 11:33 am in Alternative Energy, Bankruptcy, Green Biz, , , , ,

Applied Materials Still Expanding Solar (AMAT, FSLR)

Solar Roof ImageApplied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) appears to not be slowing down on its solar ambitions, or at least not as much as we might have all guessed about six months ago when new expansions were being canned and when oil was at far lower prices.  This morning came an Applied Materials announcement that the company had opened the world’s largest non-governmental advanced solar research and demonstration facility in Xi’an, China.  We have not compared this to other large solar players, but the size of the labs and office buildings was listed as covering more than 400,000 square feet.  The site also contains an entire Applied SunFab™ thin film manufacturing line and a complete crystalline silicon pilot process, which are configured to closely simulate customer fabrication environments.
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Posted on: October 26, 2009 – 11:10 am in Alternative Energy, China, Green Biz, ,

Next Week’s Top 10 Earnings (VZ, APOL, VLO, V, WYNN, COP, FSLR, CME, XOM, PG)

NYSE Floor ImageThis week was the crest of 2009 third quarter earnings season.  We still have a flood of reports next week and picking a mere top ten earnings to watch was very unfair to many key stocks.  But the ten earnings we have flagged as the top ten for next week are Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO), Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CME), ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG).  We have included Thomson Reuters consensus data for earnings and revenue estimates and added color on each where applicable.
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Posted on: October 23, 2009 – 1:21 pm in Alternative Energy, Calendar, Earnings, Oil & Gas, , , , , , , , , ,

Chipotle Goes Partly Solar (CMG)

Chipotle LogoChipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is trying the solar gimmick, yet this is actually just another step on building upon its social already-respectable image.  This morning the company announced that it is partnering with Houston-based Standard Renewable Energy to install solar panels on about 75 Chipotle restaurants over the next year that will ultimately produce 500 kilowatt hours of electricity.  Chipotle claims that this will make it the largest direct producer of solar energy in the restaurant sector.
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Posted on: October 20, 2009 – 9:49 am in Alternative Energy, Food, Green Biz, Retail,

Siemens Shows Wind Energy is Alive (SI, DUK, BAM, GE, ZOLT, BWEN)

Wind Energy PicSiemens AG (NYSE: SI) is showing that wind energy is not as dead as many might have you believe. This morning the company issued a press release showing that wind power orders are still possible. The company said that it had been awarded 6 new wind turbine orders in just the last month that come to more than $900 million in orders. While this is not exactly breaking news that will influence a quarter or a year, it shows that there is still some appetite out there for wind power that could help other wind power players domiciled in the U.S.

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Posted on: October 13, 2009 – 11:30 am in Alternative Energy, Conglomerates, Green Biz, Utilities, , , , , ,

A Solar Win in California, Sort Of (STP, FSLR, SPWRA, PCG, EIX, SRE)

Solar Roof ImageThe solar sector appears to be lightly benefiting from California legislation efforts that would secure above market rates as a feed-in tariff for small solar power generators.  California already has mandates calling for larger utilities to generate more power from alternative energy sources (as much as one-third by 2020).  The state already offers relatively high utility rates and solar subsidies and this will take what already one of the top solar markets to somewhat of a German model.

There is a larger effort at the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, that may benefit larger players like Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), and SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA).  The discrepancy comes in over which companies will or will not benefit from the move if a smaller benefit comes into play or if it is the larger benefit.
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Posted on: October 12, 2009 – 9:56 am in Alternative Energy, Law, , , , , ,

Soros Will Invest $1 Billion To Proft Off Green Movement

oilThe government is putting part of its $787 billion stimulus package into alternative energy and improving the infrastructure of the energy grid. Private foundations have started to put money into green energy initiatives in underdeveloped nations.

Leave it to billionaire  George Soros to try to look good supporting alternative energy while planning to make money at the same time. Soros says he will invest $1 billion in clean-energy technology and donate $100 million to an environmental advisory group to aid policymakers. Read More »

Posted on: October 12, 2009 – 5:22 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz

Airlines Make Aggressive Move To Go Green

airplaneThe car industry is going green by rapidly developing hybrids and electric cars. Residential and commercial building are adding solar panels. The last place that most people would expect a systematic effort to improve carbon emissions and adopt carbon-neutral programs is the airline industry. The engines for most commercial aircraft are so large that re-engineering them for  improved carbon emissions would seem difficult. Read More »

Posted on: October 11, 2009 – 7:50 am in Airlines, Alternative Energy, Green Biz, ,

Verenium Crushed on Offering (VRNMD)

Burning Money PicIf any ethanol is supposed to be feasible, it is cellulosic ethanol.  One player in that sub-sector is Verenium Corp. (NASDAQ: VRNMD).  Unfortunately, its shares are getting crushed this morning as it has detailed its planned sale of stock and warrants.  The small company has priced a public offering of 2,250,000 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase an additional 900,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $6.00 per unit.
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Posted on: October 6, 2009 – 10:00 am in Alternative Energy, Oil & Gas, Secondary Offering,

The Solar Shingle And The False Promise Of New Technology

biotechMicrosoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 7 will be better than Microsoft Vista. The world’s largest software company has learned from the mistakes it made with Vista which users found too complicated. But, Microsoft assumes that customers always want to upgrade to the latest version of its operating system. That does leave out the millions of people who never licensed Vista; people who like XP, the version of the operating system used by most consumers and businesses on their PCs before Vista arrived. Read More »

Posted on: October 6, 2009 – 4:46 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, , ,

First Solar Makes a Sale (ENB, FSLR, YGE, TSL, STP)

biotechCanadian oil and gas pipeline company Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) today announced that it would purchase a 20 megawatt solar generation plant from First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR). No purchase price was given for the plant, which is located near Sarnia, Ontario, but Enbridge’s CEO said that the company would invest about $100 million on solar energy projects in 2009. Read More »

Posted on: October 2, 2009 – 10:45 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, , , , ,

Alternative Energy Shares Troubled (YGE, SPWRA, TSL, ENER, AONE, CRTP)

oilThis morning’s report on unemployment has cooled enthusiasm for shares across the board. Solar stocks are, for the most part, no exception. Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (YGE) is down nearly 3%, SunPower Corp. (SPWRA) is off more about 2.25%, Trina Solar Ltd. is down about 3.5%, and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ENER) is off more than 3%. Two stocks, A123 Systems Inc. (AONE) and China Ritar Power Corp. (CRTP) are flying against the headwinds. A123 is up more than 7% and Ritar is up about 2% in early trading. Read More »

Posted on: October 1, 2009 – 10:42 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, , , , ,

Trina Solar Extends Contract; Suntech Completes Utility-Scale Solar Plant; LDK Solar Loses Ground (TSL, STP, LDK)

biotech

Chinese solar PV maker Trina Solar Ltd. (TSL) has announced a five-year contract extension with another Chinese company that produces polysilicon and solar wafers. Trina plans to use the materials to produce about 8,500 megawatts of solar modules over the next 13 years.

The original contract began in April 2008 and was to run for eight years. This extension does not change any terms of that contract; it adds five years beginning in 2016 at already agreed-upon volumes and prices, though a price adjustment is possible based on market prices. Read More »

Posted on: September 30, 2009 – 11:04 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, , ,

Some Shade Falls Over Solar Shares (WFR, C, AMAT, AONE, FSLR)

Shares in MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE:WFR) have been downgraded from ‘Buy’ to ‘Hold’ by Citigroup (NYSE:C). MEMC makes crystalline polysilicon wafers used in some photovoltaic solar cells, and the market appears to be oversupplied for both this year and next.

Prices for polysilicon could fall by as much as 50%, which would really squeeze MEMC’s revenues and margins.

Another wafer maker, Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT), got an upgrade from Citigroup, from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’. Applied also makes crystalline polysilicon wafers, but its thin-film products could easily pick up the slack if the market for polysilicon takes the expected tumble.

And while alternative energy shares were hot last week, primarily due to the IPO of A123 Systems Inc. (NYSE:AONE), things have cooled a bit today. Even A123 is down nearly 3% in early trading today.

Nearly all the solar players are moving downward this morning. MEMC is off about 3.5% to around $16.69, and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is off nearly 3.75% to $149.15. The big winner so far is Applied Materials, which is up more than 3.25% to $13.53.

Paul Ausick

Posted on: September 28, 2009 – 11:13 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, , , , ,

The Week of Proof for A123 (AONE, CBAK, ABAT, CSGH, BRK-A, GE, QCOM, MOT, AB, PG)

A123 Systems Inc (NASDAQ: AONE) is still likely going to be one of the highlights of trading activity for the week, but the valuation is all based on the future rather than on the performance of the past.   The maker of lithium-ion car batteries turned out to be the second best IPO of 2009 in the United States, so the company’s execution from here is paramount.  That is what a 50% gain on the first day will do for you.   The deal was for 28.1 million shares at $13.50, although it opened at $17.00 and it never went below $16.56 in the aftermarket.

While a highlight is one thing, A123 has competition and its losses are off the chart.  China Bak Battery, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAK) and Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABAT) are in the space but have far less hype.
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Posted on: September 28, 2009 – 6:51 am in Alternative Energy, Autos, Buffett, China, Consumer Electronics, Green Biz, IPOs, , , , , , , , , ,