Short Sellers Pounce on Alt Energy Stocks

By Paul Ausick Published Jan 13, 10:37AM EST

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Short Sellers Pounce on Alt Energy Stocks — © audioundwerbung / iStock via Getty Images

Short interest moves among solar and alternative energy stocks were mixed during the two-week reporting period that ended on December 31. Of the companies we watch, short interest decreased on two solar stocks and rose on four of five alternative energy stocks.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR | FSLR Price Prediction) saw short interest slip 1% to 7.6 million shares, which represent about 8.2% of the company’s float. In the two-week short interest period through December 31, the stock’s share price increased by 5.9%. The stock’s 52-week range is $28.47 to $109.62, and it closed at $104.32 on Tuesday.

SunPower Corp.’s (NASDAQ: SPWR) short interest increased by 5% to 43.4 million shares, or 53.6% of the company’s float. In the two-week short interest period, the share price increased by 15.7%. The stock’s 52-week range is $2.64 to $32.86, and it closed at $30.24 on Tuesday.

Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) saw short interest tumble by nearly 15% during the period. Some 9.7% of the total float, or about 4.4 million shares, were short. The company’s share price increased by nearly 20% over the two weeks, and shares closed Tuesday at $55.98, in a 52-week range of $12.00 to $59.19.

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FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) short interest soared by 25% during the two-week period. Some 43.1 million shares were short as of December 31, or about 14% of the total float. The share price jumped by 9.5% in the period, and the stock closed at $19.05 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $1.00 to $19.06. The high was posted Tuesday.

Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) short interest was essentially unchanged at 63.5 million shares. About 16.1% of the company’s shares were short. In the two weeks to December 31, the share price soared by 28.5%. The stock’s 52-week range is $2.53 to $66.07, and shares closed at $66.02 on Tuesday, after posting a new 52-week high.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) short interest skyrocketed by 120% to 6.9 million shares. About 4.9% of the company’s float was short. The share price soared by nearly 73% in the two-week period. The stock closed at $9.92 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $1.05 to $11.66.

Bloom Energy Corp. (NYSE: BE) short interest rose by 1% in the latter half of December. Some 15.3 million shares were short, representing nearly 12% of the company’s total float. The stock price jumped by nearly 17% during the period. Shares closed Tuesday at $35.66, in a 52-week range of $3.00 to $37.39.

Pacific Ethanol Inc. (NASDAQ: PEIX) saw short interest for the two-week period jump by about 27.7% to 6 million shares. About 8.8% of the company’s float was short. The share price dropped by more than 11% in the two-week period. Shares closed at $6.75 on Tuesday, in a 52-week range of $0.22 to $11.44.

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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.