Short Interest in Solar, Alt Energy Stocks Soared During Sell-Off

By Paul Ausick Updated Jan 12, 2:58AM EST · Published Feb 28, 7:25AM EST

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Short Interest in Solar, Alt Energy Stocks Soared During Sell-Off — © Thinkstock

Short interest moves among solar and alternative energy stocks rose during the two-week reporting period that ended on February 15. Of the companies we watch, short interest rose on all three solar stocks and all four alternative energy stocks.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) saw short interest rise by 12.3% to 4.53 million shares, which represents about 5.9% of the company’s float. Days to cover rose from two to three. In the two-week short interest period, the stock’s share price dropped by about 3.4%. Its 52-week trading range is $25.56 to $76.61, and it closed at $63.48 on Tuesday, down about 2.5% for the day.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) short interest increased by 4.7% to 17.91 million shares, or 30.1% of the company’s float. In the two weeks to February 15, the share price dropped by more than 12%. The stock’s 52-week range is $5.84 to $11.70, and it closed at $7.27 on Tuesday, down about 4.3% for the day. Days to cover rose from four to five.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw an increase of 35.3% in short interest during the two weeks. Some 5.9% of the total float, or 2.61 million shares, were short, and days to cover rose from two to three. The company’s share price rose by about 1.2% over the short interest period, and shares closed Tuesday at $15.52, down about 1.7% for the day, in a 52-week range of $10.86 to $19.09.

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FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted an increase of 3.7% in short interest during the period. Some 8.48 million shares were short as of February 15. The stock closed at $1.63 on Tuesday, down about 4.7% for the day, in a 52-week range of $0.80 to $2.49. Shares traded up about 3.9% in the short interest period, and days to cover rose from six to seven.

Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) saw short interest rise by 8.5% to 33.27 million shares. Days to cover fell from 10 to eight, and about 14.7% of the company’s shares were short. Between the settlement dates, the share price fell by about 7.7%. The stock’s 52-week range is $0.92 to $3.21, and shares closed Tuesday at $1.90, down about 3.1% for the day.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) saw a rise of about 22.6% in short interest to 5.53 million shares. About 4.1% of the company’s float was short, and days to cover rose from two to five. The share price fell by 4.1% in the two-week period to February 15. The stock closed at $1.39 on Tuesday, down about 1.4% for the day, in a 52-week range of $1.36 to $3.12. The low was posted Tuesday.

Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) saw short interest rise by 73.4% in the first two weeks of February to 1.99 million shares, about 4.7% of the company’s float. Days to cover rose from four to seven. The stock price dropped by about 5.9% in the period. Shares closed at $4.30 on Tuesday, down about 2.3% on the day, in a 52-week range of $3.55 to $9.35.

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About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for a673b.bigscoots-temp.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.