Monday, November 10, 2008

Barron's Tech Trader Daily Goes to All Solar Format (AMAT; CSIQ; JASO; STP; TSL; YGE)

Mr. Savitz is the top rated morning drivetime blogger in the Palo Alto (okay, Bay area) market. Now W-TTD breaks new ground with their fourth solar post of the day:
"Applied Materials: Oppenheimer Downgrades; Sees Pushout Of Solar Contract; To Post Results Wednesday"
Just prior to that post was "China Solar Companies Reportedly Slowing Production":

...Here’s a rundown on the steps Wedge finds unfolding at some of the key players:

  • Suntech (STP): “Quietly laying off about 10% of its 10,000 employees, and has idled half its production lines.” Wedge says the company is “lobbying regional banks for short-term financial support in order to ballast the company during this downturn.” The company has “put on ice” its plans to expand from 700 MW to 1.2 GW by the end of the year. European orders are down, and depreciation of the dollar means ASPs “are untenably low.” Prices proposed for new contracts would put solar manufacturers “into a loss position.”
  • JA Solar (JASO): Customer orders are “drastically down.” Channel sources say the company has “large volumes of inventory which will ultimately have to be sold at much-reduced prices.” Contends that half of the company’s production lines have been closed down.
  • Yingli (YGE): Postponed or canceled planned expansion from 400 MW to 600 MW. Trying unsuccessfully to renegotiate contact with equipment supplier GT Solar (SOLR); seeking to retrieve its down payment.
  • Trina (TSL): Halted plans to expand its plan to 700 MW, at least through Q1.
  • Canadian Solar (CSIQ): “Canadian Solar may also have slowed its ingot plant in Luoyang, Henan.”>>>MORE