The residential-solar industry has gone through some big changes over the past year. Large, national installers such asVivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR) and Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN) have lost market share to smaller, regional and local installers, and customers have moved to buying their solar systems with cash or loans, rather than leases or power purchase agreements that drove the growth of national installers.
Companies are adapting different ways to these industry changes. And the futures of Vivint Solar and Sunrun as investments could depend on how strategic decisions work out.
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Adapting to loans and cash sales
Vivint Solar is adapting to the new conditions in residential solar by transitioning to more solar system sales. In the first quarter of 2017, solar system and product sales were $22.7 million, compared with just $0.7 million a year ago. And it generated 17.9% gross margin on those sales, which isn’t a bad start for the company.
list of top stocks: E*TRADE Financial Corporation(ETFC)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Chris Neiger]
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- [By Jon C. Ogg]
E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) was up another 1.6% at $32.97. Ithas a total market cap of $9 billion, and over the past five trading days the stock has gained 17%. Shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) were last seen at $39.09, up 17% in the past fivetrading days. The market cap is$74.7 billion.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Meanwhile, E*Trade (NASDAQ:ETFC) decided to split the difference. Effective March 13, E*Trade’s commission structure will get split in two. Base rate customers will see their commissions fall from $9.99 to $6.95 per trade, matching TD Ameritrade. However, E*Trade created a new structure for active traders, defined as those who execute 30 or more trades every three months. For those customers, E*Trade will have $4.95 per trade commissions, and options charges will fall by a third, to $0.50 per contract. CEO Karl Roessner said that although “an exceptional customer experience is far more important to traders and investors than price, with our new commission structure, we are able to reward our most active equity and derivative traders and investors.”
list of top stocks: Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation(AGM)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Shanthi Rexaline]
Agri-Finance Companies
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. (NYSE: AGM): +233 percent since 2011.
Notwithstanding the drought, seed companies and agri-produce companies have fared well. The performance of pesticide and fertilizer companies were mixed during the period.
list of top stocks: Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica(ERJ)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Friday, industrials shares fell by 0.12 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Stericycle Inc (NASDAQ: SRCL), down 17 percent, and Embraer SA (ADR) (NYSE: ERJ), down 13 percent.
list of top stocks: KB Financial Group Inc(KB)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
In trading on Tuesday, financial shares tumbled 1.74 percent. Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Federated National Holding Co (NASDAQ: FNHC), down 16 percent, and KB Financial Group, Inc. (ADR) (NYSE: KB) down 10 percent.
list of top stocks: Virtusa Corporation(VRTU)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Technology shares gained around 0.85 percent in trading on Friday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ: VRTU), and Ceragon Networks Ltd (NASDAQ: CRNT).
