More Sell Ratings for Suntech Power Holdings (STP)
Biggest down movement for today in Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. -7.31%
In the news:
Hapoalim Securities is out with a research report this morning, where it reiterates its Sell rating Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP); it has a $6.00 price target on the stock.
The HS analysts cited the company's better than expected Q3 revenues and gross margins (though worse than expected EPS), which was driven entirely by losses due to foreign exchange.
The analysts noted that, in an effort to address a higher production cost structure than peers arising from the need to outsource all of its wafer needs, STP announced the acquisition of 375 MW of wafer capacity from one of its equity holdings, Glory Silicon. STP is acquiring the 70% of the capacity it doesn't own for $127 million; this implies $0.48 per watt, ahead of the $0.35-0.40 capex per watt the analysts believe standard new wafer capacity can be built.
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Labels: downgrade, Solar Stocks, STP, Suntech Power
Behind Record-Breaking Solar Cell Efficiencies
What's Behind Record-Breaking Solar Cell Efficiencies, Part 1
In this two-part series on solar cell efficiencies, we examine laboratory and commercial solar cell efficiencies of Crystalline Silicon, CIGs, Amorphous, Cadmium Telluride and Multijunction Concentrator cells.California, USA -- In solar, it's hard to go a month without hearing news about conversion efficiencies. In September, for example, Oerlikon Solar and its partner, Corning, said they broke the world efficiency record for a lab-created tandem-junction amorphous-silicon cell. The cell, which was tested by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, delivered 11.9 percent stabilized efficiency.
Meanwhile, Conergy said its new selective-emitter technology could boost solar-cell efficiency from one of its German factories by "up to 0.5 percentage points." And scientists at Yonsei University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced new technologies that could one day enhance cell efficiencies by up to 65 percent, in the case of Yonsei, and that could double cell efficiencies, in the case of MIT.
"Everyone's working on efficiency," said Paul Wormser, senior director of product engineering and system solutions at Sharp Electronics' solar division. "You would be hard pressed to find a manufacturer that hasn't stated publicly at least once a year something about an efficiency improvement program."
Full articleLabels: CIGS, Polysilicon, solar efficiency, Solar Energy, solar panels
Solar market drops, but will recover
American thin film manufacturer First Solar ‒ top international producer of PV cells for 6 consecutive quarters ‒ lost ground in the third quarter of 2010, increasing capacity by just 2% and moving into third position behind Chinese companies Suntech and JA Solar.
Revealing this development in its latest analysis, IMS Research is predicting that even though demand will weaken in 2011, First Solar will gain market share when it increases production capacity through new production facilities that are expected to start up over the next two years.
First Solar recently announced that it would be expanding capacity by opening two additional four-line plants in the United States and Vietnam in 2012, in addition to previously announced expansions in France, Germany and Malaysia.
Renewableenergyworld.com reports that these expansions would suggest that the thin film supplier’s production capacity will reach over 2.7 GW by the end of 2012 at current line run rates. However, given its history of improving throughput, IMS Research estimates that its capacity could in fact reach over 3 GW by then.
IMS PV research analyst Sam Wilkinson commented: “While much of the industry has indicated uncertainty and a possible reduction in demand in 2011, with Germany’s small commercial segment likely to decrease the most in MW terms, First Solar is expecting an increase in demand for its products and a need to accelerate capacity expansions.”
Full articleLabels: First Solar Inc, FSLR, Solar Energy, Solar Stocks
Suntech to Announce Third Quarter 2010 Results
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels, will announce its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010, before the U.S. market opens on Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Suntech management will host a conference call that day at 8:00a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (which corresponds to 9:00p.m.Beijing/Hong Kong time and 1:00p.m. Greenwich Mean Time on November 17, 2010) to discuss the company's results.
Labels: Earnings, Solar Stocks, STP, Suntech Power
