July 13-17: Dow, NASDAQ Soar--Solar Close Behind

Week reverses a three-week drop

It was a rebound week on Wall Street. The Dow saw five consecutive gaining days charging back 597 points to 8743.94, a juicy 7% up from last Friday's close. The NASDAQ rebounded, too, climbing nearly 131 points to finish at 1886.61, over a 7% gain as well. It's the eight consecutive gain for NASDAQ, the best run in over four years. The 20 Solar Stocks Index ascended 22.1 points to end the week at 392.5, nearly a 6% comeback.

Overall solar stocks rose 10.5% with only one of the 20 not gaining ground. Friday's trading cooled down for solar as 14 stocks dropped slightly from yesterday but the last five days stopped a three-week slide.

Analysts say the good Wall Steet week is largely due to strong earnings reports from Intel and IBM and some encouraging news on the economy. After about a three-week drubbing, solar stocks may have been perceived as bargains this week, thus the surge. The energy bill before the Senate will be more of a boon for Big Oil and King Cole, so the rise in solar stocks, to this blogger, should not be attributed to the energy bill in its current form.

Week of July 13-17, 2009

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	8146.52	8743.94	+597.42	+7.333%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	1756.03	1886.61	+130.58	+7.436	1628.03	1293.85
Akeena Solar AKNS	1.14	1.11	-.03	-2.703	2.28	.61
Amtel Systems ASYS	4.73	4.94	+.21	+4.439	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.00	12.67	+1.67	+15.18	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	9.82	13.90	+4.08	+41.55	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	12.14	12.98	+.84	+6.92	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.1680	.1700	+.0020	+1.190	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	1.99	2.06	+.07	+3.517	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	143.10	144.55	+1.45	+1.013	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	4.77	5.44	+.77	+14.04	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	3.78	4.48	+.70	+18.52	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	72.83	72.96	+.13	+.1785	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	8.53	9.22	+.69	+8.089	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	16.61	18.76	+2.15	+12.94	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	4.64	5.27	+.63	+13.57	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	1.70	1.79	+.09	-5.294	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	5.25	6.25	+1.00	+19.05	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	22.35	23.29	+.94	+4.205	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	14.35	15.95	+1.60	+11.15	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	21.27	25.00	+3.73	+17.53	10.09	7.23
Yingli YGE	10.24	11.73	+1.49	+14.55	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 370.4	Current 392.5	Change +22.1/+5.97%	Avg Stock 10.51%	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** NOTE: Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.

July 6-10: Solar Stocks Drop 11%

Dow also down fourth straight week...

The 20 Solar Stocks Index (20SSI) dropped 41 points this week, an 11% loss. The index has lost 90 points since June 5--a 24% loss in just four weeks. The trend follows the Dow and NASDAQ, their losses have not been as precipitous.

The energy and climate change bill now before the Senate is proving to be more of a windfall for oil and coal. Also, just this week nuclear got a potential boost with a White House compromise with the Senate that could allow building 100 more nuke plants by 2030. By caving in to such archaic energy technologies, the bill, should pass into law, should be renamed the Old Energy Resources and Global Heating Act of 2009. It's that pitiful. Who needs solar or wind when campaign contributions from Big Oil and King Coal need to be repaid? The nuclear thing came straight out of left field. (See: "The Energy Bill: Do It Right or Dump It" http://freesolaradvice.blogspot.com/2009/07/energy-bill-get-it-right-or-dump-it.html)

Crude oil also dropped below $60 a barrel which also--erroneously--hurts renewable energy stocks. When Black Gold is cheap, solar and wind get ignored.

Losses by solar companies played no favorites. Penny stocks like Akeena and Satcon dropped 10% and 6% respectively. Big boys SunPower and SunTech took hits of 17% and 29%. If it's any consolation, the 20SSI is still well above its March 6 close. But June losses ate up about half the gains made since March 9...

Week of July 6-10, 2009

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	8289.81	8146.52	-143.29	-1.758%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	1796.52	1756.03	-40.49	-2.306	1628.03	1293.85
Akeena Solar AKNS	1.25	1.14	-.11	-9.649	2.28	.61
Amtel Systems ASYS	4.77	4.73	-.04	-.8456	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	11.13	11.00	-.13	-1.181	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	12.02	9.82	-2.20	-22.40	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	15.06	12.14	-2.92	-24.05	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.1651	.1680	+.0029	+1.756	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	2.39	1.99	-.40	-20.10	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	154.20	143.10	-11.10	-7.756	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	5.41	4,77	-.64	-13.41	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	4.37	3.78	-.59	-15.61	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	73.61	72.63	-.78	-1.071	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	10.87	8.53	-2.34	-27.43	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	17.55	16.61	-.94	-5.659	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	5.53	4.64	-.89	-19.18	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	1.80	1.70	-.10	-5.882	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	6.24	5.25	-.99	-18.85	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	26.23	22.35	-.58	-2.211	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	18.45	14.35	-4.10	-28.57	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	26.35	21.27	-5.08	-23.88	10.09	7.23
Yingli YGE	13.61	10.241	-3.37	-32.91	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 411.05	Current 370.4	Change -40.65/-11%	Avg Stock -14.70%	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** NOTE: Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.

June 29-July 3: Another Downer Week

More bears are attacking

The Dow lost 148.58 points over the week, nearly 2% off. The NASDAQ drop 42 points and the 20 Solar Stocks Index (20SSI) lost about 9 points both finishing 2.3% off last week.

MarketWatch and CNBC point to several reasons why the market over the past three weeks is looking bearish. The price of crude is doggedly rising; data from the Fed points to a weak, if not weakening, economy; brokerages and banks hint at more depressing news; some strong companies in tech are giving cautious projections; and the Federal Reserve has left interest rates the same.

Solar companies of all sizes are chomping on the bit because of stingy financing of projects they've lined up. The already watered-down House version of the new energy act could get even weaker in the Senate version. The existing version requires that 15% of all energy produced by 2020 must come from renewable sources. That's a measly 1.5% a year; not much of a goal. Fortunately, many states have legislated for higher renewable energy standards that dwarf the Fed's approach. California has mandated 20% from renewables by the end of 2010 and 30% by 2020, although attainment of either is questionable.

Prospects for solar and wind looked a lot more promising in November than what's happening right now. It's looking like Big Oil and Big Coal, with their copious amounts of cash and armies of lobbyists, have poisoned America's representative democracy irreversibly. As profit continues to trump common sense and scientific data, our once-great nation is now pimping to the highest bidders. Happy 4th!

Week of June 29-July 3, 2009

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	8438.39	8289.81	-148.58	-1.792%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	1838.22	1796.52	-41.7	-2.321	1628.03	1293.85
Akeena Solar AKNS	1.29	1.25	-.04	-3.200	2.28	.61
Amtel Systems ASYS	4.72	4.77	+.05	+1.059	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	10.91	11.13	+.22	+2.016	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	12.41	12.02	-.39	-3.244	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	14.78	15.06	+.28	+1.894	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.1850	.1651	+.0199	-12.05	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	2.35	2.39	+.04	+1.702	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	160.72	154.20	-6.52	-4.228	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	5.73	5.41	-.32	-5.914	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	4.85	4.37	-.48	-10.98	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	77.25	73.61	-3.64	-4.945	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	11.30	10.87	-.43	-3.956	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	17.94	17.55	-.39	-2.222	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	5.86	5.53	-.33	-5.967	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	2.16	1.80	-.36	-20.00	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	6.66	6.24	-.42	-6.730	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	26.81	26.23	-.58	-2.211	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	18.01	18.45	+.44	+2.443	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	23.53	26.35	+.58	+2.527	10.09	7.23
Yingli YGE	13.17	13.61	-.44	-3.340	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 420.64	Current 411.005	Change -9.64/-2.34%	Avg Stock -3.06%	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** NOTE: Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.