First Solar Breaks Above 50-Day Simple Moving Average;"... Higher Ahead of 12/16 Event" First Solar (FSLR)

We've been babbling about the fifty-day for a couple weeks, most recently in Friday's post "First Solar hits 50-Day Moving Average, Stops Dead (FSLR)". The SMA is currently at $134.95. With a powerful pop today the stock is up $5.92 at $132.92. Volume is running about forty percent higher than average. As we said in Friday's post:

...If it can't close above that level, and on dramatically higher volume, the $151 target is out the window and the webcast will supply a decent opportunity on the short side....

A couple analysts commented today. From SmartTrend:

Barclays Analyst Updates FSLR 2010 Guidance (FSLR)

A Barclays analyst adjusted his earnings forecast for First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) for the full-year 2010.

Analyst Vishal Shah said he now expects the company to announce 2010 guidance to be generally in-line with the consensus estimates, provide greater visibility around systems and components business and potentially announce new capacity expansion in the U.S....MORE

From StreetInsider:

...Analyst Mark Bachman at Pacific Crest issued some comments ahead of the event, saying the meeting should have one of two results - "up or down." He said 2010 capex and 2011 EPS are the key metrics at the event.Long-Term investors will look for at least $8.00 in EPS to support a 2011 valuation target, according to Bachman, which he said is achievable with sufficient capacity additions.

Mark Bachman also commented on First Solar Desert Sunlight project in California. Bachman said he believes the Desert Sunlight project is being permitted for a capacity of 550 MWac (647 MWdc), which is 300 MWac greater than that 250 MWac estimate given in the Aug. 18 press release. The Desert Sunlight project now equals the capacity of First Solar's largest project...MORE