We recently compiled a list of the 8 Most Promising Solar Stocks According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) stands against the other most promising solar stocks according to hedge funds.
The solar industry has experienced significant growth over the past four years, largely due to supportive policies from the Biden administration. The industry’s resilience is notable, as analysts and industry officials believe that solar power’s rise can withstand potential policy changes under the Trump administration, which has pledged to dismantle clean power subsidies and related policies.
However, there are several hurdles to overcome. Trump has pledged to impose a 10% tariff on goods from China, a critical source of solar components for U.S. developers. This tariff, in addition to those already imposed by the Biden administration, is likely to increase the cost of new solar projects, potentially slowing installations until domestic supply chains can ramp up. The domestic solar supply chain is also rapidly expanding and many new solar component manufacturing plants are located in states that voted for Trump in 2024. These manufacturers argue that the administration needs to maintain its current course to foster further growth. The cost of solar projects will also depend on whether the Trump administration follows through on its promises to roll back critical subsidies and tax breaks established by Biden’s 2022 climate law.
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According to a report by S&P Global published on January 13, the clean energy sector is experiencing significant transformations, with solar photovoltaic (PV) technology taking center stage. The report, titled “Top Cleantech Trends for 2025,” forecasts that cleantech energy supply investments, including solar PV, will reach $670 billion in 2025, marking the first time these investments will outpace projected upstream oil and gas spending. Solar PV is expected to represent a substantial portion of these investments, accounting for half of all cleantech investments and two-thirds of installed megawatts. This shift underscores the growing dominance of renewable technologies, particularly solar, in the global energy landscape.
The report highlights that despite the significant financial commitment to solar PV, the overall investment levels remain insufficient to meet urgent climate goals of tripling renewable capacity by 2030. The report also addresses the challenges and opportunities within the evolving solar supply chain. An oversupply of solar equipment from China is affecting the solar, wind, and battery sectors, leading to price declines that may stabilize in 2025. However, the competition from Chinese manufacturers is expected to keep prices low, fundamentally altering industry pricing dynamics.
Despite uncertainties, the trajectory of solar power remains overwhelmingly positive, driven by technological advancements, increasing investments, and the urgent need to meet global climate goals.
An empty shelf of bifacial PV modules ready to be installed in a large-scale solar project.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 8 most promising solar stocks according to hedge funds, we used Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners, and clean energy ETFs to compile an initial list of 25 solar energy stocks. We then used Insider Monkey’s Hedge Fund database to rank 8 stocks according to the largest number of hedge fund holders, as of Q3 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 32
Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) specializes in solar tracker systems that maximize the performance of solar panels by following the sun’s path throughout the day. These systems enhance energy yield for utility-scale solar projects, making Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) a key supplier to developers and EPC firms.
Furthermore, Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) is investing heavily in research and development (R&D) to drive continuous innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the solar market. The company has recently launched several new products, including the NX Horizon, NXTR 1.5, NX Horizon Low Carbon Tracker, NX Hail Pro-75, and two new NX Foundation technologies. These products have been successfully deployed in the field, enabling faster, safer, and more efficient solar project development across a variety of soil types. Additionally, the company has introduced new features such as Zonal Diffuse and Split Boost for TrueCapture, which further enhance energy generation.
Nextracker Inc. (NASDAQ:NXT) has accelerated the availability of its 100% domestically manufactured tracker, which allows customers to achieve a higher score on domestic content and qualify for a 10% bonus investment tax credit (ITC). This capability offers significant financial advantages to U.S. customers, making the company’s products highly attractive.
Overall NXT ranks 5th on our list of the most promising solar stocks according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of NXT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NXT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.