Solar Sector Gets Mid-Day Boost as Germany Amends Aid for Solar Parks by 15%, Not 25% (TAN, FSLR, STP, YGE, more)

Solar stocks across the board have jumped in mid-day trading as we are hearing that Germany has amended aid for solar parks by 15%, rather than the 25% previously expected. Headlines from Bloomberg suggest that the German bill aims to avert an "explosion" in solar power costs.

The Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index (NYSE: TAN), or "the TAN", has jumped as much as 2.5%, but is still trading just barely in negative territory.

Elsewhere in the solar sector:

• First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) shares jumped more than 4%, but are now still down about 3% to around $112.32.
  
• Energy Conversion Devices (Nasdaq: ENER) down 1% to $7.45
  
• Suntech Power (NYSE: STP) down 1.6% to $13.24
  
• SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWRA) up 0.7% to $19.95
  
• Yingli (NYSE: YGE) down 5.3% to $11.79
  
• Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) down 0.9% to $20.68
  
• LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) down 4.4% to $6.28

Prior to this just-in news out of Germany, traders in the solar sector were responding to four downgrades at Barclays. The firm lowered its investment ratings on Suntech, Yingli, LDK and Evergreen Solar (Nasdaq: ESLR).

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