Thursday, September 23, 2010

How Sunny First Solar's Future in China?

First Solar’s (FSLR-$143.55) CEO Rob Gillette told investors on the quarterly earnings call the thin-film, PV module maker expected to begin construction of an oft-delayed 2-gigawatt solar generation facility in Inner Mongolia, China early next year.

The project is to be built in multiple phases, with one GW of power to come online by 2014, and the second GW scheduled for completion by 2019, according to the “Cooperation Framework Agreement” signed last November.

Doing business in China would require “sharing of technology” with its local partner(s), according to regulatory filings. Instead, should Gillette and his staff scrub the entire mission?
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Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Message to President Obama on September 11: "Never Forget" - Voters Won't

Obama told a White House news conference yesterday: "If you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on a site."

The U.S. president’s support for a controversial plan to build a mosque and Islamic center just blocks from Ground Zero – contrary to the almost 70 percent of Americans who oppose construction – is trumpeted as a defense of religious freedom. Talk about a political “tin ear.”

"Sean, it's me. I just wanted to let you know I love you and I am stuck in this building in New York. A plane hit, or a bomb went off - We don't know. But there's a lot of smoke and I just wanted you to know I love you." Melissa Harrington Hughes, 31, trapped on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center, Tower One, after the first plane hit.

Flight 93 flight attendant Ceecee Lyles, 33 years old, in an answering-machine message to her husband: "Please tell my children that I love them very much. I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could see your face again."

Why is it that the trade of lying seems to come more naturally to politicians? Shame on you, Mr. President!

Friday, September 03, 2010

LDK Solar Swimming Against Downstream Profit Currents

LDK Solar (LDK-$7.87) said module shipments more than doubled in second-quarter 2010 to 74 megawatts. However, chief financial officer Jack Lai has yet to deliver on his promise that moving downstream into module production would position the company to improve profitability across the solar supply chain.

Although average selling prices for modules increased 3 cents sequentially to $1.77 per watt, selling margins fell 70 basis points quarter-to-quarter to 7.6 percent, mostly due to increases in non-production costs.

With other Chinese-based competitors aggressively ramping up production capacity, control over pricing will likely become more demand-dependent -- and short-lived. Ergo, successfully executing on the profitability objective could prove even more elusive.

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Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Can Obama Keep Union Support for GM Until Feds Bail Out?

Is General Motors on the recovery road? In July 2009, the “new GM” emerged from bankruptcy after a short 39 days. One-year later, it’s reporting impressive profits of $2.2 billion for first-half 2010….

Although collective bargaining agreements with the International Union and UAW don’t expire until September 2011, continued job cuts and replacement of union with nonunion labor could force union leadership to threaten walkouts at GM — even though the UAW had previously agreed in principal not to authorize any strike prior to 2015.

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Editor David J Phillips does not hold a financial interest in any stocks mentioned in this article. The 10Q Detective has a Full Disclosure Policy.