Top 5 Solar Companies To Invest In 2014

Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Get ready for the Twitter deal and get ready to do some buying, Jim Cramer told "Mad Money" viewers Friday as he laid out his game plan for next week's trading.

Cramer said if history serves, markets that are up 20% or more for the year tend to keep on rallying. So investors need to be ready to pounce when opportunities arise.

That's why on Monday Cramer will be watching three oil and gas producers -- Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD). Any of these stocks could rally on increased production, but also fall if the price of oil dips on the day, Cramer noted. Tuesday brings earnings from Tesla Motors (TSLA), Regeneron (REGN), AOL (AOL) and CVS Caremark (CVS). Cramer said Tesla could rally on any overseas news, but he'd sit on the sidelines for Regeneron. He expects good numbers for AOL and CVS. Then, on Wednesday, it's Whole Foods Markets (WFM), a stock where the analysts are always too critical, along with Cimarex Energy (XEC) and SolarCity (SCTY). Cramer said he'd buy Cimarex if Monday's oil stocks do well and would buy SolarCity if Tesla does well. On Thursday, shares of Twitter will be priced. Cramer said investors shouldn't expect to get in on this red-hot IPO but he feels shares are worth a valuation up to $20 billion. Also on Thursday, Walt Disney (DIS), another stock worth buying on any weakness. Finally, on Friday, it's non-farm payroll numbers. Cramer said he doesn't expect the market to react positively to this news, so investors should be prepared for weakness. Speculation Friday For "Speculation Friday," Cramer highlighted Swift Energy (SFY), a tiny oil and gas producer whose shares fell from a high of $45 a share to $30 last year to a scant $12.95 a share today. Cramer explained that Swift was once a pure play on natural gas and natural gas liquids, two areas of the oil and gas market that have been under tremendous pressure for the past few years. But like so many of its competitors, Swift is now making the transition away from natural gas and towards the lucrative oil side of the business, a move that's "better late than never," said Cramer.

5 Best Gas Stocks To Watch For 2015: Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited(YGE)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and installation of photovoltaic (PV) products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. The company offers PV cells, PV modules, and integrated PV systems, as well as polysilicon ingots, blocks, and wafers. It sells its PV modules to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators in Germany, the United States, Italy, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan under the Yingli and Yingli Solar brand names. The company also offers its integrated PV systems directly to end-users or to contractors for use in the electricity projects, as well as to mobile communications companies in the People's Republic of China. Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Baoding, the People? s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Like FSLR, CSIQ and JinkoSolar (JKS), ReneSola has moved beyond its original focus of creating just wafers. That means SOL stock investors are now betting on one of the more integrated solar stocks … and one that has grown to become a strong module shipper over the last few years. That includes outsourcing modules to nations like India, South Africa and Poland. SOL has done well in this regard and has been catching up to sizzling solar stocks like Yingli Green Energy (YGE).

Top 5 Solar Companies To Invest In 2014: Real Goods Solar Inc.(RSOL)

Real Goods Solar, Inc. operates as a residential and commercial solar energy integrator primarily in California and Colorado. The company provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. It offers various turnkey solar energy services, including design, procurement, permitting, build-out, grid connection, financing referrals, and warranty and customer satisfaction services. The company installs residential and small commercial systems that range between 3 kilowatts and 1 megawatt output. It also engages in the retail sale of renewable energy products. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Louisville, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Three weeks ago, I recommended Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL) as a buy. Though the stock was still drifting in the shadow of a huge May pullback - from a high of $7.17 to a low of $2.13 by mid-June - RSOL was finding some support at key moving average lines, and even pushing up and off of them. Not many of you (and I'm using "you" interchangeably with "investors in general") seemed to care. So why am I looking at Real Goods Solar again now? Because, with competitors LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) seeing their shares surge today, odds are good RSOL is going to get swept up in that move. Real Goods Solar shares are a better bet, however, in that - unlike SOL and LDK - they aren't overbought yet.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Last Thursday when I suggested American Community (OTCMKTS:ACYD) was a stock that should be shed immediately, and replaced with a position in Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL), I didn't win a lot of friends. After all, ACYD was the market's newest darling, in the middle of a red-hot runup, while RSOL was "just another solar name" that happened to be lucky enough to stumble its way above a key support line. Well, I hate to be the one to day I told you so, but, I told you so. American Community shares are down 35% since then, while Real Goods Solar shares are up 36% in the meantime. Both stocks seem pretty well entrenched in their current trends too.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  There's no denying that LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) has been a notable laggard this year compared to performances from First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) and Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL). RSOL is up nearly 180% year-to-date, with a decent chunk of that gain unfurling in just the last couple of months. FSLR is up 25% for the year so far, though that more modest gain would have been much bigger had it not been for February's 24% plunge. Meanwhile, LDK shares are down 22% year-to-date, and have barely even blipped despite the fact that solar energy has become all the rage again in recent months.

Top 5 Solar Companies To Invest In 2014: LDK Solar Co. Ltd.(LDK)

LDK Solar Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products; and development of power plant projects. It offers solar-grade and semiconductor-grade polysilicon; and multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar wafers to the manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules. The company also provides wafer processing services to monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers; and sells silicon materials, such as ingots and polysilicon scraps. In addition, it engages in the production and sale of solar cells and modules to developers, distributors, and system integrators; and design and development of solar power projects in Europe, the United States, and China, as well as provides engineering, procurement, and construction services. LDK Solar Co., Ltd. operates in Europe, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Xinyu City, t he People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 name that's starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is LDK Solar (LDK), a vertically integrated manufacturer of PV products for polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, systems, power projects and solutions. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up 13.1%.

  If you take a look at the chart for LDK Solar, you'll notice that this stock has been trending range bound and consolidating for the last month and change, with shares moving between $1.42 on the downside and $2 a share on the upside. Shares of LDK have just started to trend back above its 50-day moving average at $1.55 a share with decent upside volume flows. That move is quickly pushing shares of LDK within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above a key downtrend line that has acted as resistance for a few months.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LDK if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $1.78 to $1.83 a share and then once it clears more resistance at $2 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.97 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then LDK will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.17 to its 52-week high at $2.32 a share. Any high-volume move above $2.32 to $2.36 will then give LDK a chance to tag $3 to $3.50 a share.

  Traders can look to buy LDK off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at its 200-day moving average of $1.46 or at $1.42 a share. One can also buy LDK off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Three weeks ago, I recommended Real Goods Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:RSOL) as a buy. Though the stock was still drifting in the shadow of a huge May pullback - from a high of $7.17 to a low of $2.13 by mid-June - RSOL was finding some support at key moving average lines, and even pushing up and off of them. Not many of you (and I'm using "you" interchangeably with "investors in general") seemed to care. So why am I looking at Real Goods Solar again now? Because, with competitors LDK Solar Co., Ltd (NYSE:LDK) and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) seeing their shares surge today, odds are good RSOL is going to get swept up in that move. Real Goods Solar shares are a better bet, however, in that - unlike SOL and LDK - they aren't overbought yet.

Top 5 Solar Companies To Invest In 2014: First Solar Inc.(FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. manufactures and sells solar modules using a thin-film semiconductor technology. It also designs, constructs, and sells photovoltaic solar power systems. The company?s solar modules employ a thin layer of semiconductor material to convert sunlight into electricity. Its integrated solar power systems activities include the project development; engineering, procurement, and construction services; operating and maintenance services; and project finance. The company sells solar modules to project developers, system integrators, and operators of renewable energy projects; and solar power systems to investor owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, and commercial and industrial companies, as well as other system owners. It operates in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, and internationally. The company was formerly known as First Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. First Solar was founded in 1999 a nd is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bill Maurer]

  First Solar (FSLR):

  First Solar saw a huge drop in short interest over the past few weeks of March. The number of shares short declined by more than 1.8 million in the last two weeks of the month, putting short interest in First Solar at its lowest point in more than a year. Since the middle of August high, more than 48.4% of shares short have been covered.

• [By Sara Murphy]

  Meanwhile, NRG is working in partnership with other solar companies. NRG and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) are developing the 250-MW California Valley Solar Ranch together. Once the project is completed ��which is projected for December 2013 ��the companies will operate and maintain it jointly for two years, after which NRG will take sole responsibility. Just last month, First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) completed the 66-MW Alpine Solar Generating Facility it built for NRG. First Solar is also building Agua Caliente ��the world's largest solar plant at 250 MW ��for NRG and Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Solar.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  It is not often that positive guidance can drive a stock by nearly 50% in a single day, but remarks made by First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR  ) had precisely that impact. The news bodes well for the industry, and the company is not resting, but aggressively pursuing the add-ons it needs to succeed. After such a big run, you must ask yourself if this is only the beginning or is it rather a blip that will soon be corrected.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  The stock has serious momentum right now, and the trend is always your friend ��until it stabs you in the back. In the near term, First Solar is an OUTPERFORM. There could be a lot more room to run. However, there will likely be a steep correction in the stock price over the next one to two years due to declining demand.