CHICAGO, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include NYSE Euronext (NYSE:NYX), Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL), LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE:LDK) and MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE:WFR).
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Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog:
NYSE Forms Alliance with Equilar
In a concerted effort to provide customers better services, NYSE Euronext (NYSE:NYX) last Thursday, announced a strategic alliance with Equilar to enable the issuers of NYSE and NYSE MKT to access Equilar Atlas. With this partnership, NYSE will move a step ahead with its "community strategy" to allow the use of Atlas services among its issuers.
Presently, companies listed on NYSE have access to Equilar Atlas through NYSE Connect portal. This partnership will further enhance the accessibility to Equilar Atlas across various platforms of NYSE and provide growth prospects by opening new avenues for business development and recruitment.
Equilar Atlas provides in-depth information about an individual related to professional details among other relevant information. It has a database of 300,000 executives and board members. The technology will connect the personal network of an individual to Equilar Atlas network.
The technology will enable recruiters at NYSE to select candidates by not only using sophisticated measures but it will furnish them with crucial details regarding the individual. It is in-line with the company's initiatives of expanding its suite of technology service offerings to its clients.
The news follows NYSE getting the approval to introduce its innovative Retail Liquidity Program by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early July. The program is slated to promote healthy competition across trading platforms and benefit investors by offering them competitive prices. This technology will allow sufficient cost savings and ensure better pricing with respect to retail equity trading for NYSE and NYSE MKT listed and NASDAQ UTP-traded equity securities.
NYSE competes closely with Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ). The company strives to pose a stiff competition to NYSE. It recently purchased NOS Clearing ASA, a Norwegian commodities clearing house, according to a media report and also has its plans set on building a new interest rate derivative trading platform – NASDAQ NLX – in London by the first quarter of 2013.
NYSE currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating whereas its arch rival – NASDAQ holds a Zacks #4 Rank, which translates into a short-term Sell rating.
ReneSola Gets BIG SOLAR Contract, Ups View
ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) has entered into an agreement with BIG SOLAR S.A. for the shipment of 100 megawatts ("MW") of its high-efficiency Virtus modules. Per the deal, the company will ship its modules in the coming year directly to BIG SOLAR.
BIG SOLAR S.A. is an established company in the Greek photovoltaic sector. The branded equipment offered by BIG SOLAR includes panels, inverters, monitoring systems and telemetry that are imported directly from the respective photovoltaic (PV) companies, without the mediation of resellers or retailers.
Virtus modules represent the highest technological advancement in quasi-mono solar wafers and modules. They have the ability to improve the average conversion efficiency of conventional multi crystalline wafers from 16.5% to more than 18.2% that is equal to or more than the efficiency of monocrystalline modules. Other features include easy installation and handling, Mechanical Load Capability of up to 5400 Pa and fulfillment of International Electrotechnical Commission ("IEC") standards. It consumes much less energy and has lower manufacturing costs in comparison to monocrystalline modules that automatically helps in both reducing the overall investment in photovoltaic systems and thereby improving the rate of return on investment.
With this deal, the company also revised its guidance for total solar wafer and module shipments. For the first half of 2012, the company expects them to be close to 1 gigawatt ("GW"). Currently, it expects its total solar wafer and module shipments to be in the range of 2.2 GW to 2.4 GW as compared to the previously guided range of 1.8 GW to 2.0GW.
The company expects to release its second quarter 2012 results on August 3, 2012. The Zacks Consensus Estimates for second quarter 2012 and fiscal year 2012 are currently at a loss of 32 cents per share and $1.23 per share, respectively.
ReneSola is a leading global manufacturer of solar wafers and solar modules. We believe that this deal will help the company in achieving its guidance. In addition to adding to the company's strong position in key solar markets like Greece, the deal will also boost global sales.
Year to date, the company has delivered 40 MW of high-efficiency Virtus modules to Greece. Moreover, thanks to technological advancements and commercialization of ReneSola's high-efficiency Virtus modules, which have an average power generation of 255W, the company's business is spread out globally. In September 2011, Enerparc, a leading Engineering, Procurement and Construction company in Germany, revealed that it also utilizes 27.5 MW of ReneSola's standard Multi and Virtus high-efficiency modules for its large-scale solar power plant in Gahro, Germany.
ReneSola Ltd. focuses on improving its operating efficiencies and generating material cost savings through its vertically-integrated production structure and the newly introduced diamond-steel wire production process.
However, we are concerned about the tepid demand for solar products in Europe (especially Germany), rising competition, credit risk from its customers, oversupply of solar wafer & modules in the market, and the company's high research and development expenses. The company presently retains a short-term Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) that corresponds with our long-term Neutral recommendation on the stock.
Some of its main competitors include
LDK Solar Co. Ltd. LDK) and
MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. WFR).
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