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Latest SunPower Corp News and Updates

Why Did Sunrun Miss Analysts’ 3Q16 Revenue Estimates?
For 3Q16, Sunrun’s (RUN) consolidated revenue came in at ~$112 million against analysts’ expectations of $135 million.

Canadian Solar Beat Analysts’ 3Q17 Revenue Estimates
Canadian Solar’s revenues from the sale of electricity in 3Q17 totaled $9.6 million, which was marginally lower than $9.8 million in 2Q17.

Understanding Canadian Solar’s Business Model
A significant proportion of Canadian Solar’s revenue comes from its top five customers, a structure that’s not uncommon in the industry.

Introducing SolarCity, a Powerhouse in Solar Technology
SolarCity is a vertically-integrated solar company. Despite advancing technology and expanding reach, it has seen negative earnings most years since 2007.

Solar Companies See Pressure to Improve Top Line Growth in 3Q16
Following 2Q16, major downstream solar companies such as Sunrun, SolarCity, and SunPower have revised their 2016 guidances downward.

Can Vivint Solar Beat Analysts’ 2Q16 Estimates?
Vivint Solar (VSLR) will announce its 2Q16 earnings results on August 8, 2016, after Market hours. In this series, we’ll look at analysts’ expectations for 2Q16 and 2016 guidance.

Solar Stocks: Analyzing the Top Gainers of 2019
Solar stocks have been a sweet spot among equities this year. On average, they’ve gained 50% this year, notably outperforming broader markets.

SolarCity: A Quick Trip down Memory Lane
SolarCity was founded in 2006 with the initial focused on selling, financing, and installing solar energy systems for residential and commercial customers.

Sunrun: The Beginning of a Residential Solar Major
Sunrun was co-founded in 2007 as a startup by Ed Fenster and Lynn Jurich, with an aim to create worldwide use of solar energy. It began offering solar services in 2008.

Yieldco: A Green Investment Option That Pays
While REITs started trading in 1951 and MLPs started off in 1981, the first yieldco was floated in 2005 by Seaspan Corporation, a shipping company.

SunPower’s Earnings: Why Q2 Looks Gloomy
Analysts expect SunPower (SPWR) to have poor earnings in the second quarter. SunPower’s second-quarter earnings are expected on July 31.

What Do Analysts Expect for Yingli Solar’s Margins in 3Q16?
For 3Q16, analysts expect Yingli Solar to report a gross profit of about $31.0 million with a gross margin of about 12.4%, which is in line with the company’s gross margin guidance.

What Factors Have Driven Downstream Solar Stocks So Far in 2016?
In this series, we will perform a comparative analysis of downstream solar companies’ 1Q16 earnings and SunPower’s downstream operations. We will take a close look at its management’s guidance and analyst expectations for 2016.

What to Expect from SolarCity’s 3Q16 Earnings
Between its 2Q16 earnings release on August 9 and October 21, 2016, SolarCity’s stock price fell nearly 19%.

Trina Solar and Canadian Solar See Gains on April 21
The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) gained 0.9% on April 21. American solar stocks account for 47% of the fund’s holdings, and Chinese solar stocks account for another 44%.

Brookfield Renewable Energy: Biggest Yieldco by Asset Base
With over 6,700 MW of hydro and wind capacity under operation, Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners (BEP) dwarfs all other yieldcos we’ve looked at.

Why Canadian Solar’s Shipments Rose during 3Q17
In 4Q17, Canadian Solar expects its solar module shipments to reach ~1.7–1.8 GW.

Where Could SunPower Stock Go from Here?
Wall Street analysts have given SunPower stock a mean target price of $8.56, which indicates a potential upside of 11.5% for the next 12 months.

How’s First Solar Stock Placed before 2020?
Wall Street analysts have given First Solar a mean target price of $70.9, which indicates a potential upside of 22% for the next 12 months.

What’s in Store for First Solar Stock?
First Solar stock lost 3.4% last week after the US Court of International Trade blocked the Trump administration from withdrawing a tariff exemption.

Will the US Solar Industry Get Trump’s Support?
To boost the domestic solar industry, Trump imposed a 30% tariff on imported panels last year. However, the policy severely impacted the sector.

Enphase Energy or SolarEdge: How They Stack Up
Enphase Energy (ENPH) stock fell more than 5% Friday after gaining around 25% collectively over the five previous trading sessions.

Is First Solar Stock Attractive Again after a Steep Fall?
The recent uptrend in First Solar (FSLR) stock might have soothed investors, but the worst may not be over yet. Here’s why.

Where Enphase Energy Stock Might Be Heading
Enphase Energy stock fell almost 4% on Monday. The company announced its supply agreement with Sunrun to provide seventh-generation IQ microinverters.

Tesla Solar: Will Innovative Products Lead to Success?
Innovation will be the competitive advantage for Tesla Solar. Tesla launched a solar roof tile last month that’s more efficient and is easier to install.

Where First Solar Stock Might Go from Here
First Solar stock has an EV-to-EBITDA valuation of 6.4x its estimated earnings for the next 12 months. The industry’s mean valuation is greater than 11x.

Will SunPower’s Spin-Off Plan Help Its Stock?
SunPower announced its plans to spin-off businesses into global solar panel manufacturing and US distributed solar generation and storage.

First Solar Stock Still Looks Weak after Q3 Earnings
First Solar’s (FSLR) third-quarter earnings didn’t boost its stock. Investors were disappointed with wide misses on the revenues and earnings front.

SunPower Stock Surges after Strong Q3 Earnings
SunPower (SPWR) surprised investors with strong third-quarter earnings on October 30. It reported EPS of $0.07, beating analysts’ consensus estimate.

First Solar Stock Could Rally despite Q3 Earnings Miss
Yesterday, First Solar (FSLR) returned to profits in Q3 after reporting deep losses in Q2. FSLR missed analysts’ estimates and posted EPS of $0.29.

Why Enphase Energy Stock Is Rising Today
Solar inverter maker Enphase Energy (ENPH) stock was up more than 4% at 11:10 ET today. ENPH recovered after it fell more than 8% yesterday.

How Is First Solar Stock Placed ahead of Its Q3 Earnings?
Solar panel maker First Solar (FSLR) plans to report its Q3 earnings on October 24. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of $1.19.

Solar Stocks: Paying Too Much for a Rosy Outlook?
Solar stocks highlighted the top-rallied sectors this year. After hitting multiyear highs, many solar stocks have fallen as much as 40% since August.

Is the Recent Weakness in Solar Stocks an Opportunity?
Almost all solar stocks fell sharply on September 26. First Solar (FSLR) fell about 7% yesterday while this year’s top gainer, Enphase Energy, fell 7.5%.

Why First Solar Stock Could Continue to Climb
Top solar stock First Solar (FSLR) has surged about 10% in September. FSLR is trading close to its 52-week high and might continue to march upward.

Where Could First Solar Stock Go from Here?
Almost all the solar stocks have had a fantastic run so far this year, and First Solar (FSLR) is no exception. FSLR stock is up more than 45% year-to-date.

First Solar Stock Looks Strong Compared to Its Peers
First Solar (FSLR) stock fell more than 10% from its 52-week high early this month. In a strong solar environment, FSLR stock has gained more than 45% YTD.

Which Solar Stocks Offer Handsome Upside Potential?
Solar stocks have been on an impressive run this year. So far, Enphase Energy (ENPH) stock has risen more than 530% in 2019.

Why Solar Stocks Were Mixed Last Week
Solar stocks started last week significantly lower due to increased trade war concerns. The solar energy space is one of the hottest sectors this year.

SunEdison and FirstSolar Publish Their 2Q15 Earnings
FirstSolar (FSLR) and SunEdison (SUNE) published their 2Q15 earnings on August 4 and August 6, respectively. The results starkly contrasted with each other.

SolarEdge’s Earnings: Will Stock Follow Peers after Q2?
SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG) reported its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday. The company reported an EPS of $0.94 for the quarter ending June 30.

Solar Stocks: What Can Investors Expect?
Among the top solar stocks, First Solar broke below its 50-day moving average level, which might open a new downside for the stock in the short term.

First Solar Disappoints in Q2 but Raises Guidance
First Solar (FSLR) reported its second-quarter earnings results yesterday. It reported EPS of -$0.18 for the quarter.

SunPower Reports Loss in Q2, Raises 2019 Guidance
On Wednesday, SunPower reported its second-quarter earnings after the markets closed. The company reported an adjusted loss of $0.22 per share.

Analysts Are Upbeat ahead of First Solar’s Q2 Earnings
First Solar’s second-quarter earnings on August 1 will likely decide its path going forward. The solar space is one of the hottest sectors this year.

FSLR, RUN, and SPWR: Analysts’ Recommendations
First Solar (FSLR) stock offers a potential upside of 9% for the next 12 months. The stock has a mean target price of $70.3—compared to its current market price of $61.8.

What to Expect from Tesla’s Energy Segment in 2019
Since Tesla’s (TSLA) inception, analysts have remained divided in terms of its future growth prospects.

Comparing First Solar, SunRun, and SunPower’s Valuations
First Solar (FSLR) stock is trading at a forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 4x based on analysts’ earnings estimates for 2019.

Analysts Expect Yingli Solar’s Revenue to Rise in 3Q17
In 3Q16, Yingli Solar (YGE) posted nearly $218.9 million in total revenues. Analysts estimate that it will report ~$242 million in revenues in 3Q17.

Yingli Solar Stock Has a ‘Sell’ Rating before Its 3Q17 Results
Currently, only one analyst is covering Yingli Solar (YGE) stock. The analyst gave the company a “sell” (or 100%) rating.

What to Expect from Yingli Solar’s 3Q17 Earnings
Yingli Solar will announce its 3Q17 earnings results on December 6 before market hours. Since its 2Q17 earnings, its stock price has fallen nearly 13.1%.

Why Canadian Solar’s Stock Price Fell after Its 3Q17 Results
Canadian Solar (CSIQ) reported its 3Q17 earnings results on November 9. CSIQ declared earnings per share of $0.22, slightly below the analyst consensus estimate of $0.26.

How Did Vivint Solar’s Costs Affect Its Bottom Line in 3Q17?
In 3Q17, Vivint Solar (VSLR) posted $34.7 million as its cost of revenue for its operating leases and incentives, higher than the $33.8 million in 2Q17 but lower than the $39.3 million in 3Q16.

Vivint Solar Beat Analysts’ 3Q17 Revenue Estimates
Vivint Solar reported $75.1 million in consolidated revenue for 3Q17 compared to $73.0 million in 2Q17 and $41.3 million 3Q16.

Vivint Solar Reported Rise in Estimated Retained Value in 3Q17
Vivint Solar (VSLR) reported a cost per watt of $2.94 for 3Q17, higher than the $2.88 it reported in 2Q17 and $3.85 in 3Q16.

Why Vivint Solar Stock Fell after 3Q17 Results
Vivint Solar posted $75.1 million in revenues in 3Q17, up by 82% on a YoY (year-over-year) basis.

Why SunPower Reported Lower 3Q17 Revenues
SunPower (SPWR) reports its revenue under the power plant, residential, and commercial segments. The latter two segments are together called the distributed generation segments.

SunPower Stock Surges 15% after 3Q17 Earnings Release
SunPower (SPWR) announced its 3Q17 earnings before market hours on November 2. In this series, we’ll examine SunPower’s 3Q17 results in detail and compare the results with analysts’ estimates.

First Solar’s Strong Balance Sheet Sets It Apart from Peers
Debt profile As of December 31, 2016, First Solar (FSLR) had total debt of $188.4 million, lower than its debt of $289 million at the end of 2015. The company’s debt is denominated in various currencies, including the US dollar, Malaysian ringgit, and euros. Credit metrics With a net worth of over $5 billion and $555.8 […]

First Solar’s Profits Impacted by Heavy Restructuring Charges
Pre-tax loss First Solar’s (FSLR) pretax loss in 2016 was $471.7 million, compared with a profit of $519.8 million in 2015. The loss could be attributed to the huge $729 million restructuring pre-tax charges faced by the company in the fourth quarter of 2016. Net loss in 2016 First Solar reported a net loss of $358.0 […]

Why First Solar’s Gross Margins Contracted in 2016
Cost of sales First Solar’s (FSLR) Components segment saw its cost of sales rise 6% to $1.1 billion in fiscal 2016, from $1.0 billion in fiscal 2015. On the other hand, despite higher volumes, the Systems segment’s cost of sales fell 29% to $1.1 billion in fiscal 2016 from $1.6 billion in fiscal 2015. Overall, the company’s cost […]

How Will Restructuring Initiatives Impact SunPower?
SunPower expects to incur about $225 million–$275 million in restructuring charges as part of closing its Philippine-based Fab 2 manufacturing facility.

Why SunPower Stock Rose after the Restructuring Announcement
The market cheered SunPower’s restructuring initiatives. The initiatives are expected to reduce the company’s costs and improve its future margins.

What to Expect from Yingli Solar’s 3Q16 Earnings
Yingli (or Yingli Solar) (YGE) is set to announce its 3Q16 earnings on December 8, 2016. In this series, we’ll look at analysts’ expectations for Yingli Solar’s 3Q16 earnings.

How Did Trina Solar Stock React to Its 3Q16 Results?
Trina Solar (TSL) announced its 3Q16 earnings results before market hours on November 23, 2016. In this series, we’ll take a look at the results and compare them with analysts’ expectations.

Analyzing Tesla’s Updated Energy Products
In October, Tesla unveiled the second version of the Powerwall and Powerpack. The second version comes with higher energy storage capacity.

What to Expect from Canadian Solar’s Future Earnings
Following its 3Q16 results, Canadian Solar revised down its US GAAP revenue guidance for 2016 to $2.8 billion–$2.9 billion.

First Solar Will Focus on Accelerating Its Series 6 Product
On November 16, 2016, First Solar (FSLR) announced an update on its Series 6 product transition and revised its fiscal 2016 guidance.

What’s Canadian Solar’s Leverage and Liquidity Position?
Canadian Solar’s interest expenses fell considerably in 2Q16 to $11.9 million from $16.1 million at the end of 1Q16.

What to Expect from Canadian Solar’s 3Q16 Earnings
Canadian Solar (CSIQ) is set to announce its 3Q16 earnings results on November 21, 2016, before market hours.

What to Expect from Sunrun’s Future Earnings
For the coming quarter, analysts expect Sunrun’s (RUN) revenue to be ~$130 million, and they expect significant improvement in company revenue in the latter half of 1H17.

How Did Sunrun’s Costs in 3Q16 Affect Its Gross Margins?
Sunrun (SUN) reported an operating loss of ~$51 million for 3Q16 compared to an operating loss of $48 million in 2Q16 and $63 million in 3Q15.

Why Did Sunrun’s Stock Price Surge after Its 3Q16 Results?
Sunrun (RUN) announced its 3Q16 earnings results on November 10, 2016, after market hours. Sunrun reported earnings per share of $0.16, compared to analysts’ consensus EPS estimate of -$0.20.

How Did Vivint Solar’s Costs in 3Q16 Affect Its Bottom Line?
Vivint Solar (VSLR) reported $39.3 million in operating leases and incentives revenue costs for 3Q16 compared to $38.5 million in 2Q16 and $37.6 million in 3Q15.

Vivint Solar Reported a Record Low Cost per Watt in 3Q16
Vivint Solar (VSLR) reported a record low cost per watt of $2.85 for 3Q16 as compared to $2.94 in 2Q16 and $3.12 in 3Q15.

What Do Analysts Expect for Sunrun’s Margins in 3Q16?
Sunrun’s (RUN) gross profit for 2Q16 came in at $22.3 million. For 3Q16, analysts expect the company to report a gross profit of $23.3 million.

Why Analysts Expect Vivint Solar’s Revenue to Rise in 3Q16
Analysts estimate that Vivint Solar (VSLR) will report revenue of $44.0 million in 3Q16, which is almost a 26.0% rise on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

Analyzing SolarCity’s Leverage and Liquidity Position
SolarCity’s interest expenses have risen more than fourfold in the last two years.

What’s the Rationale behind GE’s Proposed Acquisition?
In this article, we’ll go through the rationale behind GE’s planned acquisition of LM Wind Power. According to the GWEC, worldwide wind capacity is expected to nearly double in the next five years.

How Does Trina Solar Compare to Its Peers on Valuation?
Among major upstream solar companies, First Solar (FSLR) has the lowest estimated EV-to-EBITDA multiple of 3.9x for 2016. This is followed by Trina Solar’s (TSL) estimated multiple of 6.9x.

What to Expect from Trina Solar’s Future Earnings
Analysts anticipate a decrease in gross profit and gross margin for Trina Solar. For the coming quarter, analysts anticipate that the company will report about $145 million in gross profit, which would be a ~18% decrease on a quarter-over-quarter basis.

SolarCity Beat Analysts’ 1Q16 Revenue Estimates
SolarCity (SCTY) reported $123 million in 1Q16 revenue against analysts’ consensus estimate of $113 million.

How SolarCity’s Operational Performance Stands up to Peers
As of December 31, 2015, the cumulative installed capacity of SolarCity stood at 1,945 MW as compared to Sunrun’s 596 MW and Vivint Solar’s 459 MW.

How SolarCity’s Customers Benefit from Solar Tax Credits
ITCs (investment tax credits) are dollar-for-dollar reductions on income taxes. These apply to the residential and commercial deployment of solar systems.

How Does SolarCity Make Money?
SolarCity’s business is divided into two segments: Operating Leases and Solar Energy Systems Incentives and Solar Energy Systems and Component Sales.

Is Vivint Solar Trading at a Discount Compared to Its Peers?
One out of four analysts covering Vivint Solar (VSLR) has rated the stock a “buy,” two analysts rated the stock a “hold,” and one analyst recommends a “sell” for the stock.

Must Know: Key Risks Involved in Vivint Solar’s Business
The elimination of net metering system in Nevada affected the expansion plans of Vivint Solar and also led to the market exit of its peers Sunrun and SolarCity.

A Closer Look at Key Elements of Vivint Solar’s Business Strategy
Vivint Solar intends to expand its presence in existing solar markets and penetrate into new markets by leveraging its brand presence and customer base.

How Vivint Solar’s Customers Benefited from Solar Tax Credits
ITCs (investment tax credits) are a dollar-for-dollar reduction on an income tax bill. It is applicable to both residential and commercial deployment of solar systems.

How Does Vivint Solar Make Money?
Vivint Solar’s business model is divided into two revenue segments: Operating Leases and Incentives and Solar Energy Systems and Product Sales.

Analyzing Key Elements of Sunrun’s Business Strategy
Unlike its peers, Sunrun is building an open platform of services and tools to provide a differentiated customer experience and, at the same time, gaining a wide customer base.

Need to Know: Sunrun’s Major Acquisitions
In February 2014, Sunrun (RUN) acquired the residential business of REC Solar, AEE Solar, and SnapNrack from Mainstream Energy Corporation for $78.8 million.

How Does Sunrun Make Money?
Extension of ITCs for investments in solar energy has been key for the rapid expansion of downstream solar companies like Sunrun, Vivint Solar (VSLR), SolarCity (SCTY), and SunPower (SPWR).

Behind Vivint Solar’s Key Operational Metrics
Vivint Solar’s estimated nominal contracted payments remaining increased by $251.4 million during 4Q15, compared to $214 million during 3Q15.

Can Renewable Energy Get Over the Clean Power Plan Hurdle?
The Clean Power Plan could set a bigger stage for renewable energy in the energy mix of the United States. Renewable energy could outweigh energy from all fossil fuels combined by 2040.

SunEdison Keeps Crashing and Burning—Now Even Faster
SunEdison (SUNE) has two publicly traded subsidiaries. It offers us the opportunity to analyze each company separately, aiding our quest for value.

Why Did the Solar Sector Underperform the S&P 500 in 3Q15?
With 3Q15 earnings season over and all eyes shifted to 4Q15 and beyond, we’re taking an opportunity to update our readers on the 3Q15 earnings of all major American solar companies.

Arguments for and against the Clean Power Plan
The CPP (Clean Power Plan) is the first major nationwide initiative proposed by the EPA as a step towards a cleaner environment.

FirstSolar Presents Bullish Guidance for 2H15
FirstSolar (FSLR) expects to generate $3.5 billion to $3.6 billion in revenues in 2015. This implies that its revenues in 2H15 should come in at around $2.2 billion.

SunPower in 2Q15: Liquidity Shrinks on Cash Burn
SunPower reported cash and cash equivalents of $623 million as of June 29, 2015, as opposed to $956.2 as of December 28, 2014.