FOX Translator
No data currently available.
No data currently available.
TITLE
Just as your pulse is checked during a routine physical, free cash flow is used as an indicator of a company's health. It equals the cash brought in from operations minus the money needed to pay the bills. Think about leftover money in your checking account after you pay this month's bills.
Investors and analysts see this leftover money as a gauge of a company's ability to perform. It is available for transactions such as handing out dividends and working on new products.
Some argue free cash flow is wrongly overshadowed by the emphasis often placed on earnings. Earnings numbers can be manipulated and don't always tell the whole story -- and earnings don't mean much if there's nothing left over after a company pays its expenses. Even if you bring in a six-figure salary, but no money left after paying the bills, are you in great financial shape?
You don't have to be Einstein to figure out free cash flow. To calculate the number, subtract the company's expenditures and dividends from its operating cash flow.
If the free cash flow is written in red ink, it doesn't necessarily signal curtains. This is common for young companies looking to grow. It also could be a result of heavy investments, which in the long run could be worth a standing ovation.
Home
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Thin-Film Future - Shortcut to Grid-Parity?
Comtex
MUNICH, Germany and ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, Apr 23, 2008 (PR Newswire Europe via COMTEX News Network) ----Could thin-film solar technology be the shortcut to grid-parity? What are the experiences with large-scale application of thin-film technology? Why do crystalline market leaders invest in thin-film technology?
The international solar conference 'The Thin-film Future' will provide a comprehensive overview of, and give an update on the latest developments in, the rapidly growing thin-film solar industry. This one-day event organized by SolarPlaza will take place on the 11th of June in Munich (Germany), just before the start of the world's largest PV exhibition Intersolar.
More than 10 major market players will speak during this unique event. Among them are leading manufacturers like Applied Materials and Q-Cells and ambitious new companies like NexPower and QS Solar. The net sales of the solar group of AMAT more than tripled last year, and the order book for new to-install equipment shows 1.9 billion dollars for "multiple solar factories" dating March 2008.
At the moment, the solar energy market largely depends on government incentives. For this to change, the price of solar energy has to go down. If the production cost of modules could be reduced to around US$1 per Wattpeak, solar energy would be competitive in many markets and the market potential for solar energy would be unlimited.
Leading crystalline manufacturers are rushing into thin-film. Sharp is constructing several factories adding up to 1 GW in 2010. Q-cells, the world's leading cell supplier, already made investments in 5 thin-film initiatives.
The US$1 per Wattpeak promise from AMAT and other thin-film turn-key equipment suppliers attracts a lot of new entrants into the market. In two years time, in Taiwan alone, 8 new factories will have been initiated. After the year 2010, the production capacity in Taiwan could exceed 1 GW per year.
Over 80 thin-film companies are already active. These companies currently represent a market share of around 8% of the world market. This share is expected to grow to an incredible 20% by 2010.
http://www.solarplaza.com is the global marketplace, providing free information and matchmaking services.
SolarPlaza has previously organized 11 international PV events in Spain, California, China, Italy, Greece and Taiwan.
On 2 September 2008, it will organize the second Global PV Demand Conference in Valencia (Spain). This expert event will discuss the demand-side dynamics, the expected oversupply in the market and related price elasticity consequences.
Johan Trip, +31-(0)10-2809198
Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire Europe
Market Snapshot
| Symbol | Last Price | Netchange | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
