Goldman Sachs Says Buy The Dip In Solar Stocks, Upgrades SolarEdge & Shoals Technologies

Solar stocks have taken a beating in the past three months, but one analyst says now is the time to buy the dip in Shoals Technologies Group Inc (NASDAQ: SHLS) and Solaredge Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: SEDG).

The Analyst: Goldman Sachs analyst Brian Lee upgraded Shoals from Neutral to Buy and cut his price target from $36 to $33. Lee also upgraded SolarEdge from Neutral to Buy and cut his target from $312 to $290.

The Thesis: Lee said the type of severe sell-off solar stocks have experienced in the past three months has coincided with a deterioration of market fundamentals. However, he said solar fundamentals remain solid in 2021, suggesting the sell-off is a buying opportunity.

“Stock underperformance has largely been driven by a downtick in multiples, which are down 20%-60% since the start of the year with stocks now reflecting pre-Biden nomination levels that suggest, to us, limited policy catalysts are being baked into the group,” Lee wrote in a note.

Related Link: 10 Clean Energy Stocks Under $10

Looking ahead, Lee said solar stocks could benefit from any meaningful policy progress in Washington, but the potential for rising interest rates will likely remain a concern in the near term.

Lee said SolarEdge is well-positioned for renewed growth ahead of the launch of new residential storage products, a market in which demand has exceeded supply up to this point.

He said Shoals’ core solar business will likely outgrow its competitors in the near term given the rapid adoption of its EBOS solution. Meanwhile, the company’s EV-related offerings open up a larger addressable market for the company.

Benzinga’s Take: It would be difficult to argue that the Democratic election sweep in Washington was anything but good news for solar market fundamentals. The path to investor upside from here will depend on just how much optimism is already baked into solar stocks given the Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE: TAN) has still nearly tripled over the past three years.