Hey, solar fans. It was a busy week in this corner of the market, so let's get right to it.
There was a flurry of small deals on Monday. American Electric Power
Other deals included a First Solar tie-up with Australia's Lend Lease, a frame agreement and sales contract between China Sunergy
Yingli also took the opportunity to update investors on its expectations for the current quarter. Shipments should rise about 70% from their depressed first-quarter levels, and gross margins should come in at a relatively rich 18% to 20%, as it said in previous guidance. The company also launched a fair-sized equity offering, which is all the rage these days.
The biggest surprise may have been Canadian Solar's
Canadian Solar isn't the only one experiencing green shoots. UBS analysts just released a bullish solar report, which seems to be giving the sector a lift late in the week. The duo of Robin Cheng and Stephen Chin see stimulus cash and lower prices for modules translating to a strong back half of 2009 for both Chinese players like Yingli and U.S. shops like SunPower