Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Suntech Power
So what: Revenue was up 57% to $743.7 million for the third quarter, better than Wall Street's expectation of $714 million, but margins have been squeezed by lower module prices hurting the bottom line. Gross margin fell to 16.4%, leading earnings to come in at $0.18 per share, below expectations of $0.23 per share.
Now what: The other news of the day is Suntech Power announcing the purchase of 375 megawatts of wafer- manufacturing capacity for $127 million. Suntech's weak quarter has helped push solar stocks down again today after a rough day yesterday. Considering the weakness in the sector, I'm going to sit out the move today, but in the long run, Suntech is making moves that should improve its operations.
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