Buying a beaten-down sector July 19, 2016 Archives | Unsubscribe The Brightest Comeback of 2016 Starts Here... Buying a beaten-down sector Parting the clouds in the solar industry Plus: How to spot a bottom Greg Guenthner coming to you from Baltimore, MD... Sometimes, all it takes for a group of stocks to blow up is some ill-timed news during a market correction. That's exactly what happened to the solar industry earlier this year. But solar's not all doom and gloom. In fact, we're beginning to see some signs of a comeback that could net you quick gains of 20% or more. More on this opportunity in just a minute. Let me get you up to speed… Solar stocks were humming along in January. While the major averages were tanking, stocks like First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) were quickly approaching 3-year highs. But the party didn't last long. Just a few weeks into the new year, a little solar company called SunEdison (NYSE:SUNE) crashed the party. SUNE was a hedge fund favorite in 2015. But it all came crashing down a few months ago… A dustup between SUNE and solar panel installer Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR) got the ball rolling. A $2.2 billion deal where SunEdison agreed to acquire Vivint fell through and folks started questioning the company's financial health. VSLR tanked 20% on the news. And SunEdison was soon fighting for its life as shares dropped below $2. SUNE declared bankruptcy just a few short weeks later. A massive $11 billion debt load effectively caused the collapse of the world's largest renewable energy firm. In less than one year, SunEdison went from one of the best investments in the space to a complete disaster… In the blink of an eye, SunEdison helped dismantle any hint of strength in solar stocks. During the SUNE debacle, you were better off owning just about anything else on the market. But there's also the brighter side of the solar story. "The U.S. solar industry installed a record 7.3 Gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic in 2015, and that volume is poised to grow 119% in 2016, with installations projected to reach 16 GW," MarketWatch reports. "China added 7.1 GW of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2016 alone." That's a lot of solar panels… No, solar power isn't going anywhere. The dark clouds are clearing—and the best companies in the solar sector are shaping up in a hurry. Take SolarCity, for example. Earlier this year, the company won a contract from Whole Foods to retrofit up to 100 stores with rooftop solar. The solar systems are expected to make Whole Foods one of the top 25 U.S. solar customers, according to CNBC. Even with Elon Musk trying to orchestrate Tesla's bid to acquire his solar venture behind the scenes, the stock is carving out a nice bottom. SolarCity isn't the only stock in the industry that's beginning to look interesting. Industry stalwart First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is currently down 27% year-to-date. But it also looks like its bottoming out and readying for a comeback move. It's not perfect. But if FSLR can find a little momentum here, it could easily jet back toward its 2016 highs. Everyone pounded the solar "sell" button earlier this year. With a several constructive charts and some positive news events, there are plenty of tailwinds in place to get these stocks moving in the right direction once again.  Sincerely, Greg Guenthner [Ed. Note: Send your feedback here: rude@agorafinancial.com - and follow me on Twitter: @GregGuenthner] What's the NEXT Currency Crisis? The answer will surprise you…. Britain's exit from the European Union crushed the pound at a 31-year-low, and sent the financial markets into chaos… What's the NEXT currency crisis to hit the financial markets? Jim Rickards has the surprising answer… According to Jim, the result of this next crisis could be a "bloodbath"… Get all the disturbing details here, along with a clever way to profit. Rude Numbers When to Buy... When to Sell 26 points were added to the Nasdaq yesterday. The tech-heavy index was the top performer of the major averages. It gained more than 0.5% on the day... $2.77 is the price of natural gas this morning. Natty is now up almost 2% on the day... $1,332 is where you'll find gold futures right now. The Midas metal is up a modest $3 in early trade... $19.99 is where silver futures rest right now. The poor man's precious metal is down about 10 cents on the day... 2,155 marks the spot for S&P futures before the morning bell. Stocks are set to open slightly in the red this morning... Ignore At Your Own Peril Today's Must Read Links Strange Website Lets You Open a $25 "Retirement Plan" The Untold Story of What Happened AFTER the Crucifixion >> Huge Wealth Secret Hidden in Sexually Suggestive 11-Second Video >> Add rude@agorafinancial.com to your address book: Whitelist us Additional Articles & Commentary: Daily Reckoning Website Join the conversation! Follow us on social media: The Rude Awakening is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We do not rent or share your email address. By submitting your email address, you consent to Agora Financial delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your Rude Awakening e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from The Rude Awakening, click here. Please read our Privacy Statement. For any further comments or concerns please email us at rude@agorafinancial.com. 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