April: Dow, NASDAQ Climb; Solar Slips

Only four solar winners

The Dow had a bumpy April but still was able to finish 490 points ahead since March to end at 12810.54, nearly a 4% gain. The NASDAQ also had a good month gaining 92 points to 2873.54, a 3.3% rise. Issues in the 20 Solar Stocks Index fared poorly however as 15 stocks lost value and the index closed today at 440.42, over an 8% drop.

Spring is usually good to solar as contracts pick up after winter. Also, the BP Gulf disaster of a year ago; damaging strip mining in Appalachia; and the continuing nuclear crisis in Japan would make one think a serious turn to renewables would be natural. But there's nothing natural or logical to our growing energy problems when Big Oil, King Coal and nuclear lobbies command the attention and control of a duplicitous Congress. Solar, wind and geothermal are all ready to take their places in the nation's energy industry but stalwart corporate interests continue to stymie any political or moral will to change.

As the wicked talons of greed become more and more conspicuous (including banking, HMOs, NFL, tax breaks for the elite) it seems they keep attaining more instead of being held in check. And the middle class (sans Teabaggers) gets less political access, higher gas and food prices, outrageous credit card interest and fees and paychecks that seem to shrink month by month.


20 Solar Stocks Index as of 4/29/11

	Close 3/31/11	Close 4/29/11	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	12319.73	12810.54	+490.27	+3.983%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2781.07	2873.54	+92.47	+3.324	1628.03	1293.85
Amtel Systems ASYS	24.24	22.68	-1.56	16.878	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	15.62	15.69	+.07	+.4481	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	11.28	10.80	-.48	-4.444	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	2.26	2.00	-.26	-13.00	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.05	.0433	-.0067	-15.47	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	.599	1.35	+.751	+25.37	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	160.84	139.57	-21.27	-15.23	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	10.67	11.17	+.50	+4.686	4.00	4.02
Hanwha SolarOne HSOL f/k/a Solarfun	7.58	6.83	-.75	-10.98	6.12	2.30
JA Solar JASO	7.01	6.85	-.16	-2.335	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	100.91	109.91	+9.00	+8.918	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	12.24	11.51	-.73	-6.342	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	12.96	11.83	-1.13	-9.551	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	10.55	9.18	-1.37	-14.92	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	3.86	3.21	-.65	-20.24	1.60	1.23
SunPower SPWRA	17.14	21.69	+4.55	+26.54	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	9.86	8.97	-.89	-9.921	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	30.09	28.47	-1.62	-5.690	10.09	7.23
Westinghouse Solar (Akeena) WEST	.475	.455	-.020	-4.395	2.28	.61
Yingli YGE	12.89	12.53	-.36	-2.873	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 477.42	Current 440.42	Change -37/8.401%		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 capitalization of $100M+ except Westinghouse Solar (formerly Akeena), Amtel Systems
and Entech Solar. This listing is strictly informational and implies neither endorsement or disapproval of any stock listed. Comments are always welcome.

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.