5 Best Solar Stocks To Own For 2015

Investors looking for income and capital appreciation potential for the long term may want to consider electric utility stocks. If you look at the Dow Jones Utility Average over the last twelve months, you would see that utility stocks have dropped by 1.28%, partially due to fears of rising interest rates, partially due to the concern about competition from solar roof panels, and partially due to the fears about the reduction in electrical usage from fluorescent and LED light bulbs.

This may be a buying opportunity for contrarian income investors looking to get into  utilities. There are dozens of electric utilities to choose from with over 20 providing yields of 4% or more, according to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

For example, TECO Energy, Inc. (TE) sports a yield of 5.3%. This electric and gas utility holding company provides electricity to West Central Florida. The stock trades at 20 times trailing earnings and 15.4 times forward earnings.The company has raised its dividend every year since 2006.

Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (TEG) serves the Wisconsin, Michigan, and Chicago areas. It has a P/E ratio of 14.3, a forward P/E ratio of 15.7, and offers a generous yield of 4.9%.

5 Best Solar Stocks To Own For 2015: Real Goods Solar Inc.(RSOL)

Real Goods Solar, Inc. operates as a residential and commercial solar energy integrator primarily in California and Colorado. The company provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. It offers various turnkey solar energy services, including design, procurement, permitting, build-out, grid connection, financing referrals, and warranty and customer satisfaction services. The company installs residential and small commercial systems that range between 3 kilowatts and 1 megawatt output. It also engages in the retail sale of renewable energy products. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Louisville, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  If you were lucky enough to be in an American Community (OTCMKTS:ACYD) position anytime before October 8th, then congratulations - you're up big. Now get out. Instead, use freed-up that capital to take on a position in Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL), which looks like it's at the beginning of a good-sized rally.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  My enthusiasm regarding Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL) and Westinghouse Solar Inc. (OTCMKTS:WEST) hasn't exactly been a veiled secret. Though I've favored one over the other at various times since the entire solar panel industry went back into high gear in the middle of the second quarter, I've been a fan of both RSOL as well as WEST for a while. The trick has been finding the right entry spot for both of these volatile stocks.

5 Best Solar Stocks To Own For 2015: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Solar stocks are shooting higher again today as the strong run in 2013 continues. LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) , Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) , and JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) led the way, gaining between 10% and 22% today.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Hanwha SolarOne (HSOL), which manufactures a number of silicon ingots, PV cells and PV modules using advanced manufacturing process technologies. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up 301%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Hanwha SolarOne, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.60 to its recent high of $4.28 a share. During that uptrend, shares of HSOL have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of HSOL within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HSOL if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at $4.28 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.61 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HSOL will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $7 a share.

  Traders can look to buy HSOL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average at $3.40 a share, or near more support at $3.35 a share. One can also buy HSOL off strength once it clears $4.28 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Lights out, China
  China may have its fair share of struggles -- which has caused its strong economy to back off its 30-year average growth rate of 10% -- but when push comes to shove, plenty of investors are still paying close attention to multinational companies making investments in China. However, if there were one sector with a gigantic "beware" stamp attached to it, it would be Chinese solar panel producers like Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) .

Best Heal Care Stocks To Own Right Now: First Solar Inc.(FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. manufactures and sells solar modules using a thin-film semiconductor technology. It also designs, constructs, and sells photovoltaic solar power systems. The company?s solar modules employ a thin layer of semiconductor material to convert sunlight into electricity. Its integrated solar power systems activities include the project development; engineering, procurement, and construction services; operating and maintenance services; and project finance. The company sells solar modules to project developers, system integrators, and operators of renewable energy projects; and solar power systems to investor owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, and commercial and industrial companies, as well as other system owners. It operates in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, and internationally. The company was formerly known as First Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. First Solar was founded in 1999 a nd is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Is SunPower's differentiated technology a sustainable competitive advantage?
  My investment thesis on SunPower centers on the company's efficiency lead over modules from China and virtually everyone else in solar. This lead should allow SunPower to install residential and commercial systems for a lower cost of energy than competitors, which will lead to higher margins. But GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT  ) says it is releasing equipment this year that will allow for the mass production of cells comparable to SunPower's, and First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) recently bought TetraSun, a high-efficiency solar producer. So, can SunPower maintain it's current lead given these new technologies and any number of new entrants into the market?

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  2 big turnaround stories
  Among the six stocks, two have actually posted big gains over the past year. First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) has made the biggest turnaround, almost doubling since October 2012. Yet even with those substantial gains, the stock has been a longer-term loser, falling almost 60% since early 2009. The reason for First Solar's struggles has largely been the rise of China's solar industry, which created so much overcapacity that it led to a price war that wiped out First Solar's once-huge cost advantages. Even as it has encouraged investors with its attempt to dominate the large-scale utility solar space, First Solar has largely missed out on the increasing growth of small-scale residential and commercial solar installation. In the near future, that could leave First Solar on the outside of the industry looking in at higher-growth competitors taking the spotlight.

• [By Sean Williams]

  To begin with, Europe is set to enforce a whopping 67% tariff on Chinese solar panels beginning early in August. This movie will wipe out almost any pricing advantage Chinese companies had in Europe. The other factor here is the health and pricing power that U.S. solar producers like First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) suddenly have. Comparatively speaking, First Solar has strong free cash generation and $439 million in net cash. Hanwha has had a free cash outflow in all but one year since inception and boasts $622 million in net debt with a shrinking cash pile. With First Solar's higher-efficiency panels and lessening costs, it can give any Chinese manufacturer a run for its money in the States and even overseas.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is up 17.4% at $59.07 after crushing estimates after-hours on Thursday. American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) is down 6.5% at $48.28 after an earnings decline. Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: KOG) is down 4.9% at $12.38. Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is down 1.6% at $118.03 after reporting disappointing results.

5 Best Solar Stocks To Own For 2015: JinkoSolar Holding Company Limited(JKS)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar power products in China and internationally. The company provides solar modules, silicon wafers and ingots, and solar cells, as well as processing services, including silicon wafer tolling services. It sells its products under the JinkoSolar brand name. The company?s customers include distributors, project developers, and system integrators. It trades its products under short-term contracts and by spot market sales. The company also produces accessory materials for solar power products, such as solar aluminum frame, solar junction box, aluminum materials windows, and other metal component parts. JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. was founded in 2006 and is based in Shangrao, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Friday
  The market is typically quiet on Friday, but don't tell that to JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) . The vertically integrated solar-power products maker closes out the trading week with its latest quarterly results.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On the other hand, if you were looking to buy stocks, Monday turned out to be a great time to do so. For instance, in the solar arena, JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) and Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL  ) plunged Monday on feras of the impact of geopolitical tension on the solar business, even though Jinko had reported reasonably strong results earlier that day. Yet Monday, Trina and Jinko soared, with Trina's positive report confirming the health of the solar industry.

5 Best Solar Stocks To Own For 2015: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc.(ASTI)

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, focuses on commercializing flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules using its proprietary technology. The company intends to manufacture roll-format PV modules that use copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) on a plastic substrate. Its proprietary manufacturing process deposits multiple layers of materials, including a thin-film of CIGS semiconductor material on a plastic substrate and laser patterns the layers to create interconnected PV cells or PV modules through monolithic integration process. The company would serve the building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market, as well as specialty markets, such as defense, portable power, transportation, electronic integrated photovoltaic, and space and near-space. It has a strategic relationship with Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS to access customers in the BIPV/BAPV markets worldwide. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 200 5 and is based in Thornton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Solar stocks have not exactly given buy and hold investors a smooth ride, but small cap�GT Advanced Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: GTAT) could be an interesting materials play on the solar sector���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential peers like Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: ASTI) and STR Holdings, Inc (NYSE: STRI) plus solar ETF Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA: TAN). I should mention that just last week, we added GT Advanced Technologies to our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio for both�fundamentals and technical reasons and we are already up almost 9%.