Posts for Ticker ‘SRE’

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, , , , , ,

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (BCSI, CSCO, CAL, DAL, DYN, HA, MTL, SRE, LUV, TTM)

These are the top pre-market analyst upgrades and downgrades we have seen this Thursday.  There are going to be fewer and fewer research notes from now to what is most likely Tuesday morning as Friday is a holiday and Monday is being taken off by so many investment and research personnel.

  • Blue Coat Systems (BCSI) Started as Buy ar Auriga.
  • Cisco Systems (CSCO) Started as Buy at Deutsche Bank.
  • Continental Airlines (CAL) Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Delta Airlines (DAL) Started as Overweight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Dynegy (DYN) Cut to Sell at Deutsche Bank.
  • Hawaiian Airlines (HA) Cut to Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Mechel Steel (MTL) Raised to Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  • Sempra (SRE) Cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  • Southwest Airlines (LUV) Cut to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Tata Motors (TTM) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank.

Jon C. Ogg
July 1, 2009

Posted on: July 2, 2009 – 6:31 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , ,

Top Analyst Downgrades (BCS, NILE, ED, MVL, RBS, SRE, UBS)

These are the top pre-market analyst downgrades or cautious calls we have seen from Wall Street this Wednesday morning with more than two hours until the market opens:

Barclays (BCS) Cut to Sell at UBS.
Blue Nile (NILE) Cut to Negative at Susquehanna.
Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
Marvel Entertainment (MVL) Cut to Market Weight at Thomas Weisel.
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Cut to Sell at UBS.
Sempra Energy (SRE) Cut to Hold at Jefferies.
UBS (UBS) Cut to Hold at Societe Generale; Raised to Hold from Sell at ING.

JON C. OGG

Posted on: May 6, 2009 – 6:17 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , ,

First Solar Shines Brighter in Nevada (FSLR, SRE)

solar-panel-pic3First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has signed a deal with a division of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) to build a 48-megawatt photovoltaic power plant that expands an existing 10-megawatt plant near Boulder City, Nevada. Construction is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2010. When the plant is completed it will be the largest photovoltaic power plant in North America. No monetary value for the deal was provided.

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Posted on: April 15, 2009 – 8:38 am in Alternative Energy, Green Biz, Utilities, ,

Cash Pipeline Still Flows at Kinder Morgan (KMP, SRE, COP)

Money_stack_pic_2Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. (NYSE:KMP) reported earnings yesterday, and handily missed analysts expectations of $3.4 billion in revenue and earnings per limited partner unit of $0.53. Revenue for the fourth quarter totaled nearly $2.3 billion and earnings per unit came in at $0.26. Still, the stock rose about $2/unit before closing the day at $48.49/unit. The quarterly distribution to limited partners will amount to $1.05/common unit.

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Posted on: January 23, 2009 – 12:19 pm in Oil & Gas, , ,

Good News Gets Scarce in the Energy Business (WNR, WMB, SRE)

Oil_gas_pipeline_picThere’s no good news coming from Western Refining (NYSE:WNR) today. The company reported second quarter earnings of $8.2 million (EPS of $0.12) versus $155 million and EPS of $2.29 for the same period a year ago. The culprit, of course, is lower refining margins. Analysts expected EPS of $0.28, so Western achieved a clear miss.

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Posted on: August 7, 2008 – 9:46 am in Oil & Gas, , ,

First Solar Commits to PV McFactory for Sempra in Nevada (FSLR, SRE)

First_solar_logoFirst Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) announced that the company will construct a 10 megawatt photovoltaic (PV) power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada.  Sempra Generation is a unit of San Diego, California-based Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).

First Solar will design, engineer and construct the turnkey PV power plant.  As part of the agreement it will also provide monitoring and maintenance services for the plant over its lifetime.

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Posted on: July 24, 2008 – 8:12 am in Alternative Energy, ,

Final Leg of Huge Natural Gas Pipeline Approved (KMP, SRE, COP)

Rockies Express Pipeline, LLC today announced that it has received certification from the FERC for the third and final phase of it’s 1,697-mile, 42-inch natural gas pipeline running from western Wyoming to eastern Ohio. The project is jointly owned by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE:KMP), a division of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP). Since it was first announced in November 2005, the first two phases of the project have been completed, and the pipeline now transports 1.8 billion cubic feet/day of natural gas to Audrain County, Missouri. The final 638-mile segment is expected to become partially operational by the end of this year.

Kinder Morgan originally owned 67.7% of the project and SRE owned 33.3%. In June 2006, ConocoPhillips purchased 24% from Kinder Morgan and may purchase an additional 1% once the pipeline is completed. This is one of the largest natural gas pipelines ever built in the US, and is expected to close the price differential (about $3/thousand cubic feet) between Rocky Mountain gas and Gulf of Mexico gas. The state of Wyoming was so eager for the pipeline that it agreed to ship 200 million cubic feet/day on the new line.

The pipeline is expected to exceed its current projected cost of about $5 billion by 5%-10%. The first cost estimate tagged the project at about $3 billion, with an expected in-service date of December 2007. But the project partners can certainly afford it, and the eventual payoff will certainly be a positive addition to cash flow. That’s what makes pipelines so attractive: they’re not really transporting oil or gas, but cash.

Paul Ausick
June 2, 2008

Posted on: June 2, 2008 – 10:55 am in Oil & Gas, , ,

Earlybird Analyst Calls (June 19, 2007)

ACLI cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank.
ACOR raised to Buy at B of A.
AGO cut to Underweight at JPMorgan.
ANAD started as Buy at Oppenheimer.
ANET cut to Neutral at Baird.
ATHR started as Buy at Oppenheimer.
AV cut to Mkt Perform at JMP Securities.
BAC raised to Buy at UBS.
BEAS cut to Neutral at UBS.
CHD started as Buy at Sun Trust Robinson Humphrey.
CI raised to Neutral at B of A.
EGLE started as Neutral at JPMorgan.
EPIC started as Buy at Sun Trust Robinson Humphrey.
GNK started as Overweight at JPMorgan.
GNTX raised to Buy at B of A.
KNX raised to Outperform at Wachovia.
LCC raised to Neutral at UBS.
MCHP cut to Mkt Perform at Piper Jaffray.
QMAR started as Neutral at JPMorgan.
SDXC started as Buy at Kaufman Bros.
SKH started as Buy at Jefferies.
SRE raised to Buy at Citigroup.
TZIX started as Buy at Deutsche Bank.
WERN raised to Outperform at Wachovia.
YRCW cut to Mkt Perform at Wachovia.

Jon C. Ogg
June 19, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Posted on: June 19, 2007 – 6:20 am in Analyst Calls, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,