Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014

Sometimes the market hands you a gift. And it would be foolish not to take it. Thanks to general market weakness, along with instability in the energy sector, the leading solar stocks have stumbled badly in recent weeks. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSE: TAN), for example, has slid more than 20% since late August and many individual solar stocks have fared even worse. As I'll note in a moment, a few names now stand out as compelling bargains.

The Oil Connection

At first glance, investors may mistakenly think that a drop in crude oil creates trouble for solar companies. It's true that a sharp plunge in natural gas prices in the spring of 2012 created legitimate concerns that sharply reduced electricity costs would undercut the economics of solar.

[Related -Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ): Going to $40 Says FBR capital]

Hot Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Lights out, China
  China may have its fair share of struggles -- which has caused its strong economy to back off its 30-year average growth rate of 10% -- but when push comes to shove, plenty of investors are still paying close attention to multinational companies making investments in China. However, if there were one sector with a gigantic "beware" stamp attached to it, it would be Chinese solar panel producers like Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) .

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Solar stocks are shooting higher again today as the strong run in 2013 continues. LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) , Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) , and JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) led the way, gaining between 10% and 22% today.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  News and notes
  Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) announced another $100 million in financing this week, this time a term loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea. �

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the move: Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) is up 31.5% at $5.13 on the announcement that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) will acquire the Finnish firm�� mobile phone business for $7.2 billion. Chinese solar energy stocks are getting a boost again today, with Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) up more than 15.9% and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) up 14.9%.

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: EMCORE Corporation(EMKR)

EMCORE Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides compound semiconductor-based products for the broadband, fiber optics, satellite, and solar power markets. The company operates in two segments, Fiber Optics and Photovoltaics. The Fiber Optics segment offers broadband products, including cable television, fiber-to-the-premises, satellite communication, video transport, and defense and homeland security products; and digital products comprising telecom optical, enterprise, laser/photodetector component, parallel optical transceiver and cable, and fiber channel transceiver products. This segment?s products enable information that is encoded on light signals to be transmitted, routed, and received in communication systems and networks. The Photovoltaics segment provides gallium arsenide (GaAs) multi-junction solar cells, covered interconnected cells, and solar panels for satellite applications; and concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) power systems for commercial and utility scale solar applications, as well as GaAs solar cells and integrated CPV components for use in other solar power concentrator systems. The company markets its products through its direct sales force, external sales representatives and distributors, and application engineers worldwide. EMCORE Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  EMCORE Corporation (Nasdaq:EMKR), a leading provider of compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the fiber optic and solar power markets, reported that it is ramping production and shipping the Opticomm-EMCORE NEXTGEN OTP-1DVI2A1SU insert cards for the Optiva platform.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  EMCORE (EMKR), together with its subsidiaries, provides compound semiconductor-based products for the broadband, fiber optics, satellite, and solar power markets. This stock closed up 1% to $4.09 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $4.00-$4.14
  52-Week Range: $3.50-$5.62
  Tuesday's Volume: 187,000
  Three-Month Average Volume: 103,744

  From a technical perspective, EMKR trended modestly higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $4.03 with above-average volume. This stock has been making higher lows over the last three months each time it has pulled back, which is a bullish technical sign. This spike to the upside on Tuesday is starting to push shares of EMKR within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if EMRK manages to take out some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.16 to $4.20 and then above $4.22 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in EMKR as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $3.90 to $3.86 or above more support at $3.78 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 103,744 shares. If that breakout gets underway soon, then EMKR will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.53 to its 200-day moving average of $4.65, or even $5 to $5.30.

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own For 2014: Peabody Energy Corporation(BTU)

Peabody Energy Corporation engages in the mining of coal. It mines, prepares, and sells thermal coal to electric utilities and metallurgical coal to industrial customers. The company owns interests in 30 coal mining operations located in the United States and Australia, as well as owns joint venture interest in a Venezuela mine. It is also involved in marketing, brokering, and trading coal. In addition, the company develops a mine-mouth coal-fueled generating plant; and Btu Conversion projects that are designed to convert coal to natural gas or transportation fuels; and clean coal technologies. As of December 31, 2011, it had 9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Divine]

  A major reason that basic materials companies weren't up to par today stems from the concerns coming out of China. Not only are interest rates on the rise, but Goldman Sachs�lowered its estimates on the country's growth today. China, as a major energy consumer, holds huge sway over companies like Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) that not only mine and market coal but act as brokerages for the resource as well. Accordingly, Peabody shares fell 7.2% on Monday.�

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  The global pure-play: Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  )
  With a leading presence in Australia, the southern Powder River Basin and the Illinois Basin, Peabody has the best assets to access the world export markets. That's vitally important because while coal might not be all that popular here in the U.S., Pacific Rim markets such as India and China are expected to import record coal volumes this year. Overall, seaborne thermal coal demand is likely to increase 50 million tonnes on growing Asian demand. The following slide really sums up coal demand from those two key Asian countries.

• [By Taylor Muckerman]

  Coal and iron ore producers have underperformed compared to the market over the past year. Despite being two of the biggest players from either industry, Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) and Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF  ) have lagged the S&P 500 over the past year by 54% and 85%, respectively. For at least one of these companies, the tide might be turning.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  For investors who bought shares of Peabody Energy (BTU) at the beginning of the year, its shares have been like a lump of coal in Christmas stocking. But Goldman Sachs sees a much happier outcome in the future.

  Goldman Sachs’ positive view on some coal stocks comes as Credit Suisse reassesses refiners.

  Bloomberg News

  Goldman analyst Neil Mehta and Vinit Joshi explain why they raised their rating on shares of Peabody Energy:

  We upgrade shares of Peabody Energy (BTU) to Buy from Neutral with 31% total return (including dividends) to our 6-month target price of $26. Four factors underpin our positive view of BTU: (1) the potential for continued cost cutting and volume growth in Australia, (2) the bottoming in met coal prices, (3) improving cash flow and (4) attractive relative and absolute valuation. Even after outperformance in the last three months, BTU has still lagged the S&P500 by over 50% in the last 12 months and 110% in the last 3 years.

  Mehta and Joshi also took a look at what they see as the big themes in the coal sector: Cost cutting, restructuring and balance sheets. They make some recommendations:

  Own cost-cutting winners, including Buy-rated BTU. Other companies with strong
  cost control potential include Neutral-rated [Walter Energy (WLT) and Alpha Natural Resources (ANR).]

  Buy restructuring stories, including Buy-rated [SunCoke Energy (SXC)]. We see high potential that SXC drops down coke-making assets from the parent to its MLP in 1Q2014, as suggested by management commentary.

  Avoid companies with weaker balance sheets, including Sell-rated [Arch Coal (ACI)].

  Peabody has gained 3.7% to $20.81, Walter has risen 7% to $18.57, Alpha Natural has advanced 4.3% to $7.99, SunCoke is up 3.3% at $21.24, and even Arch Coal is surging: It’s gained 6.4% to $4.48.

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Own 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 Lisa Levin]

  Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ) shares gained 12.78% to $33.58 on quarterly results.

  SINA (NASDAQ: SINA) rose 7.26% to $51.29 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.

• [By Ali Berri]

  In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.42 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), up 9.4 percent, and Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP), up 6.2 percent.