Sector Snap: Solar Shares Up On Clean Tech Hopes

JA Solar warned it is now "unlikely to achieve" its previously announced guidance for 2009 sales of $830 million.

Barclays Capital analyst Vishal Shah recommended that investors buy into JA Solar stocks, "as we believe Q1 weakness was mostly due to weak market demand and was not a reflection of the company's inability to gain market share."

Shah rates JA Solar "Overweight" and maintained a full-year profit estimate of 30 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimated 2009 earnings of 17 cents per share.

Lazard's Shrestha rates JA Solar "Buy" noting that as credit returns to the market, the company could experience a meaningful rebound in the second half of the year.

Shares of JA Solar added 1 cent to $3.25.

Elsewhere in the industry, Jefferies' Clegg noted that Suntech Power Holdings's aggressive expansion in foreign markets could help the company's volumes relative to its peers. Clegg rates the company "Hold" with a price target of $8. Shares of Suntech — which is scheduled to report results Thursday — rose 64 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $15.75 in afternoon trading.