Wednesday, July 23, 2008

MEMC Reports Second Quarter Results-Stock Craters After-Hours (WFR)

This is no longer a trend*, it's the new solar reality.
From the press release:

...The company reported second quarter 2008 net sales of $531.4 million, which represents an increase of 6.0% from first quarter 2008 net sales of $501.4 million, and an increase of 12.4% from second quarter 2007 net sales of $472.7 million. The increase in net sales was primarily the result of higher product volumes.

Gross margin in the quarter was $282.8 million, or 53.2% of net sales, compared to $259.3 million, or 51.7% of sales, in the 2008 first quarter and $245.6 million, or 52.0% of sales, in the 2007 second quarter. Compared to the 2008 first quarter, gross margin improved by 9.1% in dollar terms, and 150 basis points as a percentage of net sales. Compared to the 2007 second quarter, gross margin improved by 15.1% in dollar terms, and 126 basis points as a percentage of net sales....MORE


*From our post "Evergreen Solar Q2 In Line, But Shrs Fall On Light Outlook (ESLR)":

"A trend is emerging."

I'm sorry, private joke. One of the best securities analysts I know said that in 1999 when looking at this chart, minus the last eight years of course, and right before the stock took a sixty percent dumper. At the time, MO was up approximately "1 billion, gagillion, fafillion, shabolubalu million illion yillion..." percent over the prior twenty five years.

(that's Dr. Evil's demand [...Yen] in the third movie, about which Wikipedia says "This time his demand is met with simple confusion from the world leaders.")...

...The trend started with SPWR. Earnings up, stock down. I'll try to identify these things earlier in the move, promise.

The stock is down 26.58% ($14.30) at $39.50 in early after-hours trading.