Top 5 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: 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 Jesse Solomon]

  First Solar (FSLR), the darling of the solar panel industry, is up 23% this year, but it's gotten socked 5% this week.

  In short, there are opportunities to make real money in renewable energy, but many of the publicly traded stocks available to ordinary investors are highly speculative. It's the early days for many of these companies.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  AP/John Locher LAS VEGAS -- Construction has begun on a $1 billion solar power generating station in the Mohave Desert that officials say will produce enough electricity to power about 80,000 California homes when it is completed in 2016. The 250-megawatt project, dubbed Silver State South, will capture solar energy with panels spread across almost 4 square miles of federal land ! south of Las Vegas, according to a fact sheet obtained Friday from a First Solar (FSLR) representative. Executives with Arizona-based First Solar and Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources (NEE) put the cost of the project at $1 billion during a Wednesday ceremony with federal Bureau of Land Management chief Neil Kornze at the site off Interstate 15 near the Nevada-California state line. Kornze said in a statement Friday that since 2009, the BLM has approved more than 50 renewable energy projects around the country. "The Silver State South Solar Project is another step forward in using clean and abundant energy resources to make energy and create good-paying jobs," he said. When completed, it would be the same size as the largest solar project in the state, a 250-megawatt plant that First Solar is building on Moapa Paiute tribal land along I-15 north of Las Vegas. That project broke ground in March. First Solar is building the Silver State South array adjacent to a 25-megawatt Silver State North project the company completed in 2012 on almost 1 square mile of federal land near Primm. A subsidiary of NextEra will own both plants. Silver State North was the nation's first large-scale solar power plant built on public land. It sells power to NV Energy for use in the Las Vegas area. Silver State South will provide power to Southern California Edison under a long-term contract. "Renewable energy sources such as solar power play an important role in the future energy mix in this country," Armando Pimentel, NextEra president and CEO, said in a statement. "We look forward to working w

• [By rusticnomad]

  Solar vitality solutions supplier First Solar (FSLR) is on an outstanding run this year. The stock has effectively picked up 12% so far in 2014. First Solar has been reporting breathtaking development, and considering its strong asset report and a better than average valuation, it still looks like a solid purchase.

• [By Chad Fraser]

  Correspondingly, many solar ! stocks so! ared in 2013; the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSE: KWT), a reasonable proxy for the industry, surged 103.5 percent on the year, far eclipsing the S&P 500's 31.8 percent climb.
  
  That outperformance has continued into 2014, with the ETF tacking on a 19.9 percent gain year-to-date, compared to 6.8 percent for the S&P 500.
  
  The rebound comes after a tough few years for the solar industry. First, the financial crisis deterred customers and drove down sales. Then governments cut spending to rein in their deficits—including on solar power subsidies. This all came against a glut of cheap panels—mainly from Chinese manufacturers—that lowered panel prices and profit margins.
  
  Today, solar stocks continue to be volatile, and the industry is still subject to unpredictable swings in supply and demand, as well as constantly shifting political winds.
  
  It's also dealing with strong competition from natura l gas, as higher U.S. production has put downward pressure on prices. Last year in the U.S., for example, gas accounted for just over 50% of new utility-scale generating capacity, according to the Energy Information Administration, with solar accounting for 22%—though that was up from just 6% in 2012.
  
  However, there are signs that solar is making progress on this front. For example, the REN21 report noted that solar power is now competitive with fossil fuels without subsidies in at least 19 markets in 15 countries.
  
  A Large-Scale Solar Developer to Watch
  
  One solar stock that currently carries a buy rating in The Energy Strategist's Growth Portfolio is First Solar (NasdaqGS: FSLR), which focuses on large, utility-scale solar projects.
  
  First Solar started up as a pure photovoltaic module maker in 1999 but in 2011 began shifting toward building, financing, maintaining and selling solar facilities. The company benefits from its vertically integrate d structure, because

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