China is a big player in the global photovoltaic industry, and with some Chinese companies expected to reveal earnings in two weeks, solar exchange traded funds will soon be put in the spotlight.
Roth Capital Partners analysts Philip Shen, Matt Koranda and Matthew Riley expect a favorable outlook on the solar industry as global demand of 47 gigawatts will outstrip supply of 45 gigawatts, reports Shuli Ren for Barron’s.
China, though, has been seen as a relatively unknown, with the government targeting a 10GW installation while Roth is more optimistic, forecasting 14GW installation this year.
The Roth analysts like Chinese companies ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) and Jink Solar (NYSE: JKS)
“SOL for example, has highlighted 950MW of OEM capacity throughout the world, which could provide flexibility in a variety of tariff scenarios,” according to the analysts. “Additionally, we view JKS’s recent takeover of Topoint’s manufacturing assets as a positive, as it enabled the company to add material capacity at attractive pricing.”
Additionally, JKS and Canadian Solar (NasdaqGS: CSIQ) show improving balance sheets after recent capital increase, and the two companies have large projects in the pipeline, Roth analysts said.
Solar ETFs include global holdings and China makes up a large weight. For instance, the Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEArca: TAN) includes a 36.9% allocation toward Chinese companies and 10.2% in Hong Kong, while the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (NYSEArca: KWT) includes 19.5% to China. [Solar ETFs Fall as China Mulls Fighting U.S. Anti-Dumping Measures]