The solar technology sector continues to be rife with promise as the world looks to greener sources of energy. Solar technology companies such as GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT ) , SunEdison (NYSE: SUNE ) , and Applied Materials are usually at the forefront of new solar technological advancements, and face an ever-rising demand for higher-efficiency solar panels at an affordable price. Many of these companies also have sapphire LED segments, and the demand for these products has been hot lately.
GT Advanced Technologies is one of the biggest names in the sector. Its shares gained a whopping 560% last year, and have more than doubled in the last six months. GT Advanced Technologies makes hi-tech equipment that is used to manufacture solar and sapphire LED, or light-emitting-diodes, products. The company's solar segment is seeing rising demand as the global demand for solar products keeps growing. Below is a table that shows how the growth in global solar energy demand has been progressing:
GT Advanced Technology has three large business segments. The firm's photovoltaic segment is the biggest contributor to its top line. Polysilicon is used in the manufacture of solar panels, and is the company's second-biggest segment. The company's sapphire segment is the smallest, but the one that's showing the most promise.
The sapphire LED business has been heating up intensely recently. LED prices have fallen so much that it has stimulated a sharp increase in the demand for LED products. GT Technologies' exposure to the sector has simultaneously risen sharply.The latest rally of GT Advanced Technologies' shares was spurred by the announcement that the company has struck a $578 million deal with Apple, wherein the latter wants to use GTAT's sapphire. The details of the deal are still sketchy at best, but speculation abounds that Apple wants to use GTAT's sapphire crystals in its latest mobile devices. If this is the case then GTAT will see sapphire become the firm's predominant segment, accounting for about 80% of its revenues, up from the current mid-twenties share.
But Corning, the manufacturer of the Gorilla Glass used in Apple's iphones, warns that sapphire is 10 times more expensive than Gorilla Glass, is 1.6 times heavier, is environmentally unfriendly, and requires 100 times more energy to manufacture. Sapphire also transmits less light. In short, sapphire is an apparent bomb from a consumer viewpoint. It is, therefore, best to adopt a wait-and-see attitude before investing in shares on this premise alone, although overall they are a sound investment.
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