Posts for Ticker ‘FSLR’

Top 10 Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades, Initiations (MT, BMRN, ELN, FITB, FSLR, GCI, GT, HAL, PVTB, URBN)

These are this Thursday morning’s top 10 analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations we have seen in early research calls from Wall Street:

ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) Raised to Buy at Societe Generale.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) Raised to Outperform at Credit Suisse.
Elan Corp. plc (NYSE: ELN) Cut to Neutral at UBS.
Fifth Third Bancorp Raised To Outperform From Neutral By Baird
First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) Cut to Neutral at BofA/Merrill.
Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) Cut to Underperform at Wells Fargo.
Goodyear Tire (NYSE: GT) Cut to Underperform at BofA/Merrill.
Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.
PrivateBancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTB) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan.
Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) Raised to Overweight at Thomas Weisel.

You can join our open email distribution list to get updates on top analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader alerts, IPO’s, secondary offerings, Warren Buffett and other guru activity, M&A and more.

JON C. OGG

Posted on: October 29, 2009 – 7:45 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

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, , , ,

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, , , , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades, Initiations (ACN, AAI, CFN, FSLR, FNM, FRE, GERN, MRVL, LUV, TLAB)

These are ten of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen early this Monday morning from Wall Street research notes:

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) Cut to Neutral at UBS.
Air Tran Holdings (NYSE: AAI) Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
CareFusion (NYSE:CFN) Started as Market Perform at Leerink Swann; Started as Neutral at JPMorgan.
First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) Cut To Neutral at Macquarie.
Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM)  Cut to Underperform at KBW.
Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) Cut to Underperform at KBW.
Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN) Raised to Buy at Merriman Curhan Ford.
Marvell Tech (NASDAQ: MRVL) Started as Buy at Citigroup.
Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) Cut to Underweight at JPMorgan.
Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB) Cut to Neutral at UBS.

You can join our open email distribution list to get updates on top analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader alerts, IPO’s, secondary offerings, Warren Buffett and other guru activity, M&A and more.

Jon C. Ogg
October 19, 2009

Posted on: October 19, 2009 – 7:58 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

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, , , , , ,

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, , , , ,

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, , , , ,

Uncle Sam’s Boost for Solar (ASTI, FSLR, ENER)

solar-panel-picAscent Solar Technologies (NASDAQ: ASTI) may have a significant win under its belt in the new Army solar pact.  The maker of thin-film solar modules has a new contract from the government that could beget more contracts from the government. We have been hearing more of pacts being struck with the armed forces and other critical government infrastructure facilities for localized on-site and mobile alternative energy now that there is so much concern about the safety of infrastructure after cyberwarfare attacks and the threat of such attacks.   Ascent announced on Friday that it is partnering up with Energy Technologies to create PV-based products for the military.
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Posted on: September 27, 2009 – 10:39 am in Alternative Energy, Defense, Green Biz, , ,

Top Day Trader Alerts (ARIA, DPTR, ETFC, FSLR, MOS, POT, SLXP, S)

These are this Monday’s top day trader alert and active trader alert stocks.  We have more color and more detail on price and volume analysis linked through to each at VSInvestor.com:

Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) is one of the top gainers, up 15%… on positive study data.

Delta Petroleum Corporation (NASDAQ: DPTR) is down almost 8% and should be an active stock like it was last week.

E*Trade Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) is up over 5% on an Citi call to “Buy” shares.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is down over 3% on an analyst cut to Sell.

The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) are both getting clipped on a key analyst downgrade this morning.

Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: SLXP) is the biggest gainer this morning with a 50% gain on its key IBS study results.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) is rallying over 20% on word of a Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) bid coming.  Here wwe noticed the stock is close to resistance, assuming the normal trading takes over after the jump up.

You can join our open email distribution list which goes out several times per week for top day trader alerts, top analyst upgrades and downgrades, IPO’s, key secondary offerings, guru investor data on Buffett and others, mergers, and more.

JON C. OGG
SEPTEMBER 11, 2009

Posted on: September 14, 2009 – 8:58 am in After-Hours Activity, Pre-Market Activity, Trading Alert, , , , , , , ,

Top 10 Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades (BSX, DWA, ETFC, FSLR, LVS, MSFT, MOS, POT, UPS, UA)

These are the top 10 analyst calls for upgrades and downgrades seen early this Monday morning from Wall Street research firms:
Boston Scientific (BSX) Cut to Neutral at UBS.
DreamWorks Animation (DWA) Raised to Outperform at William Blair.
E*TRADE Financial (ETFC) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.
First Solar (FSLR) Cut to Sell at Soleil.
Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Raised to Buy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Microsoft (MSFT) Raised to Buy at Auriga.
Mosaic (MOS) Cut to Hold at Citigroup.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) Cut to Hold at Citigroup.
UPS (UPS) Raised to Neutral at Credit Suisse.
Under Armour (UA) Raised to Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

JON C. OGG

Posted on: September 14, 2009 – 8:18 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

First Solar’s New CEO High Compensation Package (FSLR, HON, GE)

Solar Panel PicMoney Stack ImageWe previously noted how First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) had scored on its new CEO.  Robert J. Gillette is coming out of Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) to take over for founder Michael Ahearn and gets a seat on the board of directors.  An SEC filing last night showed that Mr. Gillette is coming on board with a very high compensation package.  Considering he was CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, you know there was no way he’d be coming over on the cheap.  But now in the world of picking over pay at financial institutions, we want to highlight the package at America’s #1 independent solar player.  We are not compensation bashers, but we want to see if the have-nots and disparaged in America complain about about a high pay package for an alternative energy leader.  That is for you to decide after looking at the package here.
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Posted on: September 11, 2009 – 10:43 am in Alternative Energy, Compensation, Green Biz, Management Change, Politics, Regulation,

China: A $1 Trillion Green Technology Market

chinaA new report from the China Greentech Initiative, which is made up of several dozen alternative energy companies and government organizations, says that the potential for green technology sales in China is as much as $1 trillion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers helped compile the research. Read More »

Posted on: September 10, 2009 – 6:17 am in Alternative Energy, China, Green Biz, Oil & Gas,

Still Too Many Mixed Solar Signals (FSLR, ENER, AMAT, CSIQ, VECO, ED, WFR)

Solar Roof ImageThere are many things that help solar power and orders for the sector, but arguably higher energy prices and tax incentives or subsidies probably dwarf the overall economic situation.  There seems to be a steady series of ups followed by more downs, and you can blame part on the economy and on energy prices.  First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER), Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO), Consolidated Edison Inc. (NYSE: ED), and MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR) have all been in solar light with news.
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Posted on: September 9, 2009 – 10:25 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, Utilities, , , , , , ,

Media Digest 9/9/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   First Solar (FSLR) plans a huge solar field in China.

Reuters:   Kraft (KFT) plans to cut its supplier base to save costs.

Reuters:   Cuomo may charge Bank of America (BAC) over the Merrill deal.

Reuters:   July consumer credit fell a record $21.6 billion. Read More »

Posted on: September 9, 2009 – 3:57 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , ,

A Solar Field Larger Than Manhattan

chinaFirst Solar (FSLR) today announced that it had signed a contract with the Chinese government that will allow it to build a 2 gigawatt solar power plant in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China. The closing of the deal is contingent on execution of definitive agreements.

The new solar field would be the largest in the world, by far. Once it is completed, the installation will cover 25 square miles, larger than the island of Manhattan. It will be able to supply power to three million homes and will be completed in four phases. Read More »

Posted on: September 8, 2009 – 5:33 pm in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, ,

Media Digest 9/4/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg

newspaperReuters:   China is making it difficult for foreigners to trade in its commodidites markets.

Reuters:   Toshiba will pay $5 billion for a unit of Areva.

Reuters:   The SEC and CFTC will align efforts to police markets.

Reuters:   The Fed’s Fisher sees near-term strength in the economy. Read More »

Posted on: September 4, 2009 – 4:05 am in Press Digest, , , , , , , , , , , ,

First Solar Scores With New CEO (FSLR, HON, GE)

Solar Panel PicFirst Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is making a significant management change, right at the top of the company. Mike Ahearn is stepping down as CEO and will be replaced by Robert J. Gillette.  This may come as a shock to many, but  it comes at a time when even a leader like First Solar is having a hard time navigating the difficult climate.  As previously announced, Mr. Ahearn will continue to serve in the full-time position of executive chairman.
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Posted on: September 3, 2009 – 11:43 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, Management Change, , ,

The Unusual Suspects (MELA, FSLR, GENZ, GERN, JEC, SHLD, SIRI, CRM, SPPI)

bull-and-bear-imageIt’s the weekend, and that brings about the review of “the unusual suspects” for strange activity or for being key stocks under review for the week ahead.  There are some old hat names here and some new unknown names that will be key.  We have Electro-Optical Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: MELA), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ), Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN), Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEC), Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI), Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI) all under review for the week ahead.
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Posted on: August 22, 2009 – 11:16 am in Calendar, Earnings, Editor's Picks, The Week, Trading Alert, , , , , , , , ,

Analysts Duel Over Solar Stocks (ASTI, CSUN, ENER, ESLR, FSLR, SFUN, STP, SPWRA, YGE)

solar-panel-picJefferies has made some key downgrades in the solar sector this morning.  There are few other calls that were upgrades from rival firms, but the downgrade seems to be more front and center as it was a sector call.

Ascent Solar (NASDAQ:ASTI) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies.
China Sunergy (NASDAQ:CSUN) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies.
Energy Conversion (NASDAQ:ENER) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies.
Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ: ESLR) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies.
First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
SolarFun Power (NASDAQ: SFUN) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies.
SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWRA) Raised to Buy at Merriman Curhan Ford; Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
Suntech Power (NYSE: STP) Cut to Underperform at Jefferies; Cut to Neutral at Cowen.
Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE) Raised to Overweight at HSBC.

JON C. OGG
AUGUST 21, 2009

Posted on: August 21, 2009 – 8:26 am in Alternative Energy, Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , ,