Editor’s Note: Related Tickers: First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL), SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK)
Brighter days for First Solar (CNN)
Meanwhile, demand is soaring — for a variety of reasons. China plans to install an ambitious 10 gigawatts of solar capacity this year. In the U.S. the solar industry grew 76% in 2012 as PV manufacturers installed a total of 3.3 gigawatts of power, or the equivalent of a new nuclear power plant. Generous state subsidies in California and elsewhere have driven sales, as well as the fact that 29 states now have requirements that a certain percentage of power come from renewables.
First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) CEO Jim Hughes says his company is ready to ride this wave. First Solar’s competitive advantage is a next-generation technology called thin-film solar.
Solar demand gets hoisted in US and Europe, Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE) and Trina Solar Limited (NYSE:TSL) decline, LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK) advances (Crazy Joys)
Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) in last trading session end up at $4.95 by falling -6.60% with the average volume of 2.62 million shares. The stock price saw week’s volatility of 7.92% and month’s volatility is 8.04%, while the stock price of the company is moving up from its 20 days moving average with 14.53% and isolated positively from 50 days moving average with 19.99%. Looking at Analytic Ratios; the price to sales ratio of Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) in past twelve months was calculated as 0.30 and price to cash ratio as 0.48. Company return on equity ratio is recorded as -26.30% and its return on assets is -9.28%, and return on investment is -16.38%.
First Solar Rising: Q1 Rev Beats, EPS Misses (Barron’s)
Solar energy technology provider First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) this afternoon reported Q1 revenue that topped analysts’ estimates, but missed on the bottom line. Revenue in the three months ended in March rose 52%, year over year, and declined 30%, quarter over quarter, to $755 million, yielding EPS of 69 cents per share, excluding some costs. Analysts had been modeling $726 million and 75 cents. Including pre-tax restructuring charges of 3 cents per share, First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR)’s 66-cents EPS was down from $1.74 in the prior quarter, but up from a $5.20-per-share loss a year earlier.
Solar Leasing Investment Opportunities (Energy and Capital)
SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) has found its Q1 losses greatly reduced from the same period a year ago. The solar company reported a net loss of $54.7 million in the first months of 2013 compared to $74.5 million in 2012. Sales were distinctly more optimistic; total sales were at $635.4 million, well ahead of SunPower’s expectation back in February of $450-$525 million. Solar leasing has been kind to SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR). Right now, demand for the company’s residential solar leasing program is so steep that the company…
…actually doesn’t have the money to keep financing it so rapidly. In terms of hard numbers, Q1 saw around 2,100 leases signed. That brings the company to an average of 2,800 per quarter and a total of 16,200 since the launch of the leasing program, which has clearly proven a hit with forward-thinking homeowners.
First Solar, Inc. (FSLR): More Power, Less Space (Insider Monkey)
The most important development is the acquisition of TetraSun, which removes the issue I had with First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR). As a thin film provider, it was only a viable supplier for certain projects. Normally, these are huge projects where space is not an issue, and high temperature is not expected. However, residences have limited roof space and thin film panels are not useful. You need higher efficiency silicon cells like those SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) makes. The price action on the stock has me concerned, but the acquisition is a great one from a strategic point of view. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) has opened up an entire new market for itself with the acquisition of TetraSun.
Following bankruptcies from LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK) and Suntech Power (NYSE:STP), Investors gaze at Yingli Green Energy Inc (NYSE:YGE) (Crazy Joys)
Coming to the stock performance; LDK Solar Co., Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:LDK) in last trading session end up at $1.35 by rising 8.00% with the average traded volume of 1.35 million shares. The stock price saw week’s volatility of 11.15% and month’s volatility is 10.98%, while the stock price of the company is moving up from its 20 days moving average with 14.65% and isolated positively from 50 days moving average with 1.38%. Looking at Analytic Ratios; the price to sales ratio of LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) in past twelve months was calculated as 0.15 and price to cash ratio as 1.53. Company return on equity ratio is recorded as -190.19% and its return on assets is -16.37%, and return on investment is -53.72%.
