Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat, may I have your recommendation on whether Canadian Solar is a buy right now? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Canadian Solar Inc., $21.69, symbol CSIQ on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 64.6 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; www.canadiansolar.com), is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar energy and battery storage solutions. Founded in 2001, Canadian Solar went public in 2006, selling shares at $15 each. Back then, solar power was making the transition from fad to commercial possibility. Some investors were attracted by a belief in “Peak Oil Theory”—the idea that there’s a finite amount of oil in the world, and that a growing world population, plus growing use per person, will eventually overwhelm that finite supply and lead to soaring prices. However, it turned out that technological advances, starting with fracking-shale energy, have vastly increased the available supplies of oil in the world. This turn of events shows in the performance of Canadian Solar. Its stock price is up just 51.8% since it went public at $15 per share, 18 years ago. However, that still beats a lot of new issues…