From Motley Fool:
Solar is so over.
The news broke early this morning, and on the other side of the ocean: Germany's No. 3 solar panel maker is bidding to enter the lucrative business of ... car manufacturing. Now, you're going to think I'm making this up, but I assure you that what follows is a true speculative deal Bloomberg reported on (with thanks to CAPS newcomer and solar skeptic Hapoalim Securities for bringing it to my attention):...
...Dig a little deeper
And yet, the tenuous logic of the deal aside, the idea as a whole sounds utterly crazy. I mean, solar power is the next big thing, right? Isn't that why Suntech (NYSE: STP) and First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) gained like a billion percent in their first couple years post-IPO? So why would Germany's third biggest solar player diworsify away from this profit monster, and plunge into the (pardon the mixed metaphor) trainwreck that is auto manufacturing?The answer isn't obvious, but if you think on it a bit, I suspect it will come to you: Solar power ain't what it used to be. Previously considered an industry at the front end of a capital J-curve, we're now beginning to remember that j's can be downgraded into the lower case as well.
And now, Solarworld thinks it can get better returns on its capital by building green Buicks than by manufacturing solar panels....MORE
And from China Analyst, yesterday's bloodbath:
| Company (Ticker) | Mkt | Price | Daily | YTD | Rev | Rev | Chg | EPS | EPS | Chg |
|
| Cap |
| Chg | Chg | 08E | 09E | % | 08E | 09E | % |
| First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) | 8293 | 101.13 | -8.5% | -62% | 1224 | 2049 | 67% | 3.92 | 7.35 | 88% |
| Suntech Power (NYSE:STP) | 1654 | 8.93 | -11.6% | -89% | 2123 | 2891 | 36% | 1.60 | 1.88 | 18% |
| SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWRA) | 2037 | 24.24 | -10.2% | -81% | 1440 | 2030 | 41% | 2.26 | 3.20 | 42% |
| MEMC (NYSE:WFR) | 2815 | 12.20 | -10.8% | -86% | 2107 | 2245 | 7% | 3.48 | 3.56 | 2% |
| LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK) | 1503 | 12.97 | -12.9% | -72% | 1645 | 2565 | 56% | 3.27 | 4.29 | 31% |
| Energy Conv. (NASDAQ:ENER) | 973 | 23.42 | -11.0% | -30% | 460 | 700 | 52% | 1.64 | 2.96 | 80% |
| JA Solar (NASDAQ:JASO) | 312 | 2.02 | -18.5% | -91% | 889 | 1461 | 64% | 0.66 | 0.83 | 26% |
| Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE) | 421 | 3.25 | -7.9% | -92% | 1110 | 1600 | 44% | 0.96 | 1.18 | 23% |
| ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) | 165 | 2.52 | -24.8% | -81% | 689 | 887 | 29% | 1.32 | 1.52 | 16% |
| Solarfun Power (NASDAQ:SOLF) | 234 | 4.07 | -14.7% | -88% | 758 | 939 | 24% | 0.83 | 0.89 | 7% |
| Trina Solar (NYSE:TSL) | 170 | 6.73 | -6.8% | -87% | 865 | 1191 | 38% | 3.42 | 3.55 | 4% |
| Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ:ESLR) | 267 | 2.26 | -22.3% | -87% | 116 | 400 | 245% | -0.36 | 0.27 | N/M |
| Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) | 135 | 4.61 | -14.8% | -84% | 910 | 1532 | 68% | 2.33 | 2.23 | -4% |
| China Sunergy (NASDAQ:CSUN) | 89 | 2.24 | -12.8% | -86% | 443 | 567 | 28% | 0.26 | 0.89 | 245% |
| Akeena Solar (NASDAQ:AKNS) | 62 | 2.19 | -2.7% | -72% | 42 | 59 | 40% | -0.69 | -0.54 | N/M |
| Hoku Scientific (NASDAQ:HOKU) | 58 | 2.87 | -17.5% | -75% | 17 | 100 | 484% | -0.18 | 0.26 | N/M |
| Ascent Solar (NASDAQ:ASTI) | 53 | 3.28 | -11.1% | -87% | 1 | 3 | 88% | -0.75 | -0.77 | N/M |
| Spire Corporation (NASDAQ:SPIR) | 28 | 3.38 | 10.8% | -86% | 78 | 129 | 65% | 0.02 | 0.87 | N/M |
| DayStar Tech. (NASDAQ:DSTI) | 43 | 1.30 | -9.7% | -79% | 0 | 9 | N/M | -0.79 | -0.97 | N/M |
| BTU Int'l (NASDAQ:BTUI) | 33 | 3.51 | -1.4% | -74% | 74 | 93 | 25% | 0.04 | 0.43 | 900% |
Note: I've cut off the three columns on the right side of the table. For the whole shebang go to China Analyst.
