Another Bloody Nose for Solar Stocks (YGE, FSLR, GTAT, AMAT, SPWR, WFR, LDK, TSL, JASO, STP)

Chinese solar maker Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 earnings this morning. Revenues were much better than expected, but earnings remained below estimates. Gross margins came in at -8.5% for the fourth quarter, which was considerably better than the gross margins of -22.7% in the third quarter.

The poor report is rippling through the solar sector today, pulling share prices down for First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: GTAT) and Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT). Solar maker SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) fell earlier this morning, but an initiation of the stock with an Outperform rating at Northland Capital has pulled SunPower's shares up to a small gain. Wafer maker MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE: WFR), like SunPower, dived earlier, but has since recovered to post a small gain.

Shares of Yingli are down 4.6% this morning, at $2.29 in a 52-week range of $1.25 to $4.60. Other Chinese solar stocks, like LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL), J.A. Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) and Suntech Power Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), are trading down from about 1.2% to 3.8% following Yingli's results.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Alternative Energy, China, Green Biz, Technology Companies Tagged: AMAT, featured, FSLR, GTAT, JASO, LDK, SPWR, STP, TSL, WFR, YGE