Federal Reserve 1, Bank of Japan 0

As the world’s currency wars rage on, the Federal Reserve is re-emerging as the “victor.” The dollar index looks ready to erase all its gains for 2010 on the heels of the Fed’s threat to roll out quantitative easing (QE) Part 2. This threat in turn came on the heels of the Bank of Japan’s … Read more

A Soaring September for Solar

Canadian Solar (CSIQ): 20% Evergreen Solar (ESLR): 20% Yingli Green Energy (YGE): 14% JA Solar Holdings (JASO): 11% Trina Solar (TSL): 10% ReneSola (SOL): 9% These solar companies are the top six performing solar companies in my watchlist….not for the month or the year, but for the last TWO DAYS. While only three of the … Read more

SLV – Anatomy of a Healthy Rally

In mid-May I tried to make a case for buying silver as a complement to holdings in gold. At the time, the gold/silver ratio looked ready to break lower and provide silver some lasting out-performance. Instead, silver peaked for the rest of the summer and gold regained its edge. Over 4 months later, the gold/silver … Read more

LDK Solar Secures Its Future with Credit from China

I bet many American solar companies wish they could get the kind of government sponsorship that Chinese solar companies can get from their government. Last week, I used Cetrotherm Photovoltaic’s deals with China as the latest examples of China’s seriousness about developing capabilities in solar technology. Today’s big news from China benefits LDK Solar, one … Read more

Will the Real Safety Currency Please Stand?

In “The Dollar Is Headed Lower“, Randall W. Forsyth wrote in Barron’s that “The dollar’s trend now is unequivocally lower. And that’s apparent whether you look at fundamental factors or the technical picture on the charts.” He does a good job of summarizing the current condition of de facto competitive devaluation that is increasing the … Read more

Adobe’s Crash: Wash-out or Tradebots Gone Wild?

Adobe Systems, Inc. (ADBE) was punished on Wednesday for an earnings report that produced guidance slightly below analyst expectations. The stock dropped as much as 26% after ADBE guided Q4 earnings to $0.48-0.54 EPS vs. $0.53 analyst consensus and Q4 revenues $950M to $1.0B vs. $1.03B analyst consensus (from briefing.com). The severity of the sell-off … Read more

Looking for Firm Support for the Current Rally

Trader Mike asked on Tuesday whether the stock market is free at last of its trading range. He questioned whether the steep ascent can last in the midst of over-bought technical conditions. The financials are not confirming the advance (and likely weighing on the S&P 500 as it has underperformed relative to the NASDAQ). This … Read more

Jinko Solar Sets Fresh Highs – A Near Triple in Four Months

Jinko Solar (JKS) got its start in 2006 as a supplier of recovered silicon materials. It is now a vertically integrated solar manufacturer and seller of solar wafers, cells and modules. The company touts its fast growth and low-cost advantage from its Chinese operations. (See profile for more details). JKS debuted on the American stock … Read more