Best Solar Companies To Buy For 2014

After markets close today, two Elon Musk companies, Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) are scheduled to report earnings. Both companies have seen impressive stock price appreciation since the end of the first quarter, but there could be some headwinds in the forecast.

Since April 1, shares of Tesla are up more than 220%, while SolarCity�� shares are up a more modest 127%. SolarCity�� shares lost about $1.50 yesterday and are down another $3 a share this morning. The weak report and forecast from First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is certainly the primary reason for today�� drop, but another is that the halo effect of being an Elon Musk company is simply not as bright for SolarCity as it is for Tesla.

As for Tesla, its shares are down more than $8.50 so far today, after falling by more than $2 yesterday. The company�� shares skyrocketed after it announced a surprise profit last quarter and raised its guidance for new car deliveries by 1,000 for the full year. Investors have expected more of the same this quarter, but there is some concern now that California is said to be considering the elimination of its zero-emissions credits, which Tesla used in the first quarter to pump up its profit.

Best Low Price Stocks To Watch For 2015: JinkoSolar Holding Company Limited(JKS)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar power products in China and internationally. The company provides solar modules, silicon wafers and ingots, and solar cells, as well as processing services, including silicon wafer tolling services. It sells its products under the JinkoSolar brand name. The company?s customers include distributors, project developers, and system integrators. It trades its products under short-term contracts and by spot market sales. The company also produces accessory materials for solar power products, such as solar aluminum frame, solar junction box, aluminum materials windows, and other metal component parts. JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. was founded in 2006 and is based in Shangrao, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wall Street Strategies]

  Naturally the news is a big positive for the industry, with Chinese solar names like Yingli (YGE), Trina (TSL), Canadian Solar (CSIQ) -- which is actually Chinese despite its name -- JinkoSolar (JKS), JA Solar (JASO), and LDK Solar (LDK) each up more than 10% at midday. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN), which tracks several global solar companies, was up 8%, breaking to a new 52-week high.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Provided that the Chinese government either encourages or permits consolidation, any of these three could be an acquirer. The likeliest target, of course, is SunTech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), which is reorganizing and which the government has already seemed to give up on. Other possible targets include ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  JinkoSolar Holding Co.(JKS) unveiled plans to separate its downstream solar PV project business, saying it may consider a spinoff or sale of the unit. Shares edged up 2.8% to $36.40 premarket.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  But the real news is the near vertical trajectory in share prices for the two stocks. This could be another manifestation of the market�� hunger for some momentum plays, as we noted earlier this morning the bump to share prices for both JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS) and Shutterstock Inc. (NASDAQ: SSTK), both of which held secondary share sales this morning.

Best Solar Companies To Buy For 2014: DAQQ New Energy Corp.(DQ)

Daqo New Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells polysilicon in China. The company sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. It also produces and sells mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline modules to photovoltaic system integrators and distributors in China and internationally under its Daqo brand. The company was formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited and changed its name to Daqo New Energy Corp. in August 2009. Daqo New Energy Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered Wanzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

Best Solar Companies To Buy For 2014: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc.(ASTI)

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, focuses on commercializing flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules using its proprietary technology. The company intends to manufacture roll-format PV modules that use copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) on a plastic substrate. Its proprietary manufacturing process deposits multiple layers of materials, including a thin-film of CIGS semiconductor material on a plastic substrate and laser patterns the layers to create interconnected PV cells or PV modules through monolithic integration process. The company would serve the building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market, as well as specialty markets, such as defense, portable power, transportation, electronic integrated photovoltaic, and space and near-space. It has a strategic relationship with Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS to access customers in the BIPV/BAPV markets worldwide. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 200 5 and is based in Thornton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Solar stocks have not exactly given buy and hold investors a smooth ride, but small cap�GT Advanced Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: GTAT) could be an interesting materials play on the solar sector���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential peers like Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: ASTI) and STR Holdings, Inc (NYSE: STRI) plus solar ETF Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA: TAN). I should mention that just last week, we added GT Advanced Technologies to our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio for both�fundamentals and technical reasons and we are already up almost 9%.

Best Solar Companies To Buy For 2014: First Solar Inc.(FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. manufactures and sells solar modules using a thin-film semiconductor technology. It also designs, constructs, and sells photovoltaic solar power systems. The company?s solar modules employ a thin layer of semiconductor material to convert sunlight into electricity. Its integrated solar power systems activities include the project development; engineering, procurement, and construction services; operating and maintenance services; and project finance. The company sells solar modules to project developers, system integrators, and operators of renewable energy projects; and solar power systems to investor owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, and commercial and industrial companies, as well as other system owners. It operates in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, and internationally. The company was formerly known as First Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. First Solar was founded in 1999 a nd is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Earnings and First Solar's guidance
  First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) was the biggest newsmaker this week when it met with investors to give guidance and a technology roadmap for the future. I took a detailed look at the presentations here, but there are a few takeaways for the whole industry.

• [By Wall Street Sector Selector]

  First Solar stock (FSLR) triggered a solar flare last week on the Nasdaq as circuit breakers were triggered on Tuesday, April 9.

  The event was caused by a massive amount of short-covering in First Solar stock after the company issued impressive 2013 guidance, with full-year earnings expected between $4.00 and $4.50 a share on sales of between $3.8 billion and $4 billion. Analysts had been expecting to see earnings guidance of $3.51 a share in 2013 on sales of approximately $3.1 billion. Trading in First Solar stock was halted on the Nasdaq exchange during Tuesday's session, in accordance with the guidelines on triggered circuit breakers.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Moreover, ReneSola has had some successes lately. Back in April, the company announced it had won a 1.8-megawatt project in New Mexico and had agreed to a 44-megawatt module arrangement with Enerparc. Then just last week, the company said that it had supplied solar modules for three community projects in Vermont. That may seem like peanuts next to the success that First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) has had in selling hundreds of megawatts of generation capacity to major utility producers, and admittedly, those large projects have been primarily responsible for First Solar's superior profitability. Yet while ReneSola's Vermont projects only added up to 335 kilowatts, they nevertheless represent the scale needed to serve small local communities, and tapping into the trend toward green energy could represent a business opportunity for ReneSola.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  The potential insolvency or bankruptcy of LDK Solar highlights exactly why investors need to be in high-quality solar names such as SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) or First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) . SunPower has the highest efficiency product in the industry and is expanding margins, while First Solar leads in the utility space and has the best balance sheet. These are the only two companies in solar worth buying right now.