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.

Sept 28-Oct 2: Dow, NASDAQ, Solar Sink Some More

Solar stocks down nearly 7%

The DJIA has dropped 333 points in two weeks, the NASDAQ 77. The 20 Solar Stocks Index lost 23 points for the week and over 35 since Sept 21. MarketWatch said the disappointing labor report and possible over-extension during the markets third-quarter surge may be to blame. Stocks dropped seven of the last eight trading days with industrials General Electric, Boeing and Caterpillar leading the others.

Still, there were some gainers from various sectors by week's end. Accenture (IT sector) gained 97 cents; ConocoPhillips was up 1.30; PepsiCo closed up 2.44; Wynn Resorts climbed 2.06 points; and BB&T (banking/financial planning) rose 1.18.

Eighteen stocks in the 20SSI were down lead by Renesola down nearly 19%. Although First Solar's net loss for the week was 2.87, it actually rose 6.24 per share today on news it is replacing Wyeth Pharmaceuticals on the Standard & Poor's 500 index when Pfizer completes acquisition of the company.

20 Solar Stocks Index Week of Sept 28-Oct 2, 2009

	Monday Open	Friday Close	Up/Down	% Change	Close 1/5/09*	Close 3/6/09**
Dow Jones DJIA	9665.19	9487.67	-177.52	-1.871%	8952.89	6626.95
NASDAQ	2090.92	2048.11	-42.81	-2.090	1628.03	1293.85
Akeena Solar AKNS	1.17	1.07	-.10	-9.345	2.28	.61
Amtel Systems ASYS	5.34	5.10	-.24	-4.705	4.00	2.73
Applied Materials AMAT	13.10	12.68	-0.42	-3.312	10.67	8.70
Canadian Solar CSIQ	16.74	15.99	-.75	-4.690	7.00	3.0601
ECD (UniSolar) ENER	11.99	10.79	-1.20	-11.12	29.33	17.45
Entech Solar ENSL.OB	.1770	.1799	-.0029	+1.638	.28	.23
Evergreen Solar ESLR	1.86	1.77	-.09	-5.084	3.60	1.03
First Solar FSLR	156.15	150.00	-2.87	-1.913	157.80	108.49
GT Solar Int. SOLR	5.69	5.28	-.41	-7.765	4.00	4.02
JA Solar JASO	4.04	3.88	-.16	-4.123	5.09	1.91
Kyocera KYO	92.46	86.70	-5.76	-6.643	71.87	54.21
LDK Solar LDK	8.83	7.93	-.90	-11.35	14.84	4.40
MEMC Elect. WFR	17.29	15.38	-1.91	-12.42	15.76	13.68
Renesola SOL	5.38	4.51	-.87	-19.29	5.15	2.1201
Satcon SATC	1.90	2.01	+.21	+11.66	1.60	1.23
SolarFun SOLF	5.80	5.24	-.56	-10.68	6.12	2.30
SunPower SPWRA	30.53	27.53	-3.00	-10.89	45.13	23.39
SunTech STP	15.75	13.98	-.77	-12.66	13.55	5.34
Trina Solar TSL	31.45	29.82	-1.63	-5.466	10.09	7.23
Yingli YGE	12.60	11.69	-.91	-7.784	7.25	3.888
20SSI Weekly Cumulative:	Previous 434.86	Current 411.53	Change -23.33/-5.6%	Avg Stock -6.797%	1/05/09* 415.41	3/06/09** 266.01

* The starting date of the 20 Solar Stock Index (20SSI).
** The Consensus "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.

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.