Sept 14-18: Solar Outpaces Dow, NASDAQ Again

Strong week all around; Dow approaches 10,000

The 20 Solar Stocks Index (20SSI) gained a sparkling 8% this week compared to the Dow's and NASDAQ's 2.2 and 2.5% gains respectively. It is usually a blah month for trading but all three indexes gained for the second straight week.

MarketPlace reported consumer stocks, including Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee and Home Depot, showed lead the rally that pushed the Dow up nearly 214 points. The NASDAQ gained nearly 52 points, the eighth week in the last ten to rise.

The 20SSI gained over 33 points for the week with First Solar, JA Solar and SunPower leading the pack. All but four stocks went up in what could be the beginning of a consistent rise for solar installations. Here in California news of steep rate hikes next year by Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric certainly helps the industry without the need for more state or federal incentives. Even conservative companies are looking at renewable energy because the low cost of panels and ever-increasing electricity costs make solar or wind power imperative. Solar trackers are coming more into play as more incentives are performance based and they help to eke out more power as the panels follow the sun's path.

China is committing to 20% of its power demand to come from solar and wind by 2020. As authoritarian governments go, implementation of solar projects are much quicker to be built than in most Western (democratic) countries with their layers of government and compliance. China's commitment could drive up the cost of panels worldwide as their multi-megawatt PV projects devour existing panel supplies. This is no far out possibility. It is said the cost of concrete, steel and copper was sky-high because of the copious amounts of these materials used to complete the Beijing Olympics.


The 20 Solar Stocks Index Week of September 14-18, 2009

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	9605.41	9820.20	+214.79	+2.236%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2080.90	2132.86	+51.96	+2.496	1628.03	1293.85
Akeena Solar AKNS	1.1701	1.23	+.0599	+5.119	2.28	.61
Amtel Systems ASYS	5.01	5.50	+.49	+9.780	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	13.51	13.03	-.48	-3.684	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	16.58	17.62	+1.04	+6.272	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	13.40	13.53	+.13	+.9701	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.1750	.1800	+.0050	+2.857	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	1.94	1.88	-.06	-3.191	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	136.75	156.15	+19.40	+14.18	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	5.35	5.86	+.51	+9.532	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	3.90	4.60	+.70	+17.95	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	88.05	89.37	+1.32	+1.499	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	9.75	9.39	-.36	-3.833	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	17.21	18.90	+1.69	+9.819	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	5.86	6.00	+.14	+2.389	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	1.90	1.90	NC	NC	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	5.94	6.43	+.49	+8.249	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	29.15	33.09	+3.94	+13.51	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	15.97	16.96	+.99	+6.199	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	29.07	31.45	+2.38	+8.187	10.09	7.23
Yingli YGE	12.98	14.05	+1.07	+8.243	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 413.67	Current 447.12	Change +33.45/+8%	Avg Stock +5.7%	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Concensus "new" bull market began on Monday, March 9, 2009.
NOTE: All above stocks have market capitization of $100M+ except Akeena Solar, Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval
of any stock listed. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Bulletin: Solar Stock Index Up 12.35% Today

After another mournful Monday on the Dow and NASDAQ both were up at day's end Tuesday. The DJIA gained 236.16 or 3.32%; the NASDAQ was up 54.11 or 3.9%. All but one company, Entech Solar, in this blog's 20 select solar stocks index was down if only by a cent. Overall increase was 12.35%.

Top gainers were Evergreen Solar (ESLR) at 21.01% up; Renesola (SOL), 18.86 up; and SolarFun at 15.4% up. In a conversation with a major panel manufacturer this morning, some large orders are coming in for spring delivery. After the bloodbath of the past two weeks, maybe traders simply saw pricing as too good to pass up.

Overall, tech stocks did well after the pounding sell-off yesterday. Banking stocks also rallied--if only for the day--on comments made by Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke.

"I don't see any reason to destroy the franchise value or to create the huge legal uncertainties of trying to formally nationalize a bank when that just isn't necessary," Bernanke stated before the Senate Banking Committee.

Two major banks most eyed for possible nationalization were both up. Bank of America climbed 82 cents a share to $4.73, 21% up. Citigroup closed 46 cents up to $2.60, 22% up.

More good news came from Home Depot which had higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings which likely raised investor's hopes on consumer spending. Home Depot went up $1.96 a share today, a 10% boost.