The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: NYSE Euronext, Nasdaq OMX Group, ReneSola, LDK Solar and MEMC Electronic Materials

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: NYSE Euronext, Nasdaq OMX Group, ReneSola,
                   LDK Solar and MEMC Electronic Materials

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, July 17, 2012

CHICAGO, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zacks.com announces the list of stocks
featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts
discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets.
Stocks recently featured in the blog include NYSE Euronext (NYSE:NYX), Nasdaq
OMX Group Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL), LDK Solar Co. Ltd.
(NYSE:LDK) and MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (NYSE:WFR).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO)

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Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog:

NYSE Forms Alliance with Equilar

In a concerted effort to provide customers better services, NYSE Euronext
(NYSE:NYX) last Thursday, announced a strategic alliance with Equilar to
enable the issuers of NYSE and NYSE MKT to access Equilar Atlas. With this
partnership, NYSE will move a step ahead with its "community strategy" to
allow the use of Atlas services among its issuers.

Presently, companies listed on NYSE have access to Equilar Atlas through NYSE
Connect portal. This partnership will further enhance the accessibility to
Equilar Atlas across various platforms of NYSE and provide growth prospects by
opening new avenues for business development and recruitment.

Equilar Atlas provides in-depth information about an individual related to
professional details among other relevant information. It has a database of
300,000 executives and board members. The technology will connect the personal
network of an individual to Equilar Atlas network.

The technology will enable recruiters at NYSE to select candidates by not only
using sophisticated measures but it will furnish them with crucial details
regarding the individual. It is in-line with the company's initiatives of
expanding its suite of technology service offerings to its clients.

The news follows NYSE getting the approval to introduce its innovative Retail
Liquidity Program by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early
July. The program is slated to promote healthy competition across trading
platforms and benefit investors by offering them competitive prices. This
technology will allow sufficient cost savings and ensure better pricing with
respect to retail equity trading for NYSE and NYSE MKT listed and NASDAQ
UTP-traded equity securities.

NYSE competes closely with Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ). The company
strives to pose a stiff competition to NYSE.  It recently purchased NOS
Clearing ASA, a Norwegian commodities clearing house, according to a media
report and also has its plans set on building a new interest rate derivative
trading platform – NASDAQ NLX – in London by the first quarter of 2013.

NYSE currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term
Hold rating whereas its arch rival – NASDAQ holds a Zacks #4 Rank, which
translates into a short-term Sell rating.

ReneSola Gets BIG SOLAR Contract, Ups View

ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE:SOL) has entered into an agreement with BIG SOLAR S.A. for
the shipment of 100 megawatts ("MW") of its high-efficiency Virtus modules.
Per the deal, the company will ship its modules in the coming year directly to
BIG SOLAR.

BIG SOLAR S.A. is an established company in the Greek photovoltaic sector. The
branded equipment offered by BIG SOLAR includes panels, inverters, monitoring
systems and telemetry that are imported directly from the respective
photovoltaic (PV) companies, without the mediation of resellers or retailers.

Virtus modules represent the highest technological advancement in quasi-mono
solar wafers and modules. They have the ability to improve the average
conversion efficiency of conventional multi crystalline wafers from 16.5% to
more than 18.2% that is equal to or more than the efficiency of
monocrystalline modules. Other features include easy installation and
handling, Mechanical Load Capability of up to 5400 Pa and fulfillment of
International Electrotechnical Commission ("IEC") standards. It consumes much
less energy and has lower manufacturing costs in comparison to monocrystalline
modules that automatically helps in both reducing the overall investment in
photovoltaic systems and thereby improving the rate of return on investment.

With this deal, the company also revised its guidance for total solar wafer
and module shipments. For the first half of 2012, the company expects them to
be close to 1 gigawatt ("GW"). Currently, it expects its total solar wafer and
module shipments to be in the range of 2.2 GW to 2.4 GW as compared to the
previously guided range of 1.8 GW to 2.0GW.

The company expects to release its second quarter 2012 results on August 3,
2012. The Zacks Consensus Estimates for second quarter 2012 and fiscal year
2012 are currently at a loss of 32 cents per share and $1.23 per share,
respectively.

ReneSola is a leading global manufacturer of solar wafers and solar modules.
We believe that this deal will help the company in achieving its guidance. In
addition to adding to the company's strong position in key solar markets like
Greece, the deal will also boost global sales.

Year to date, the company has delivered 40 MW of high-efficiency Virtus
modules to Greece. Moreover, thanks to technological advancements and
commercialization of ReneSola's high-efficiency Virtus modules, which have an
average power generation of 255W, the company's business is spread out
globally. In September 2011, Enerparc, a leading Engineering, Procurement and
Construction company in Germany, revealed that it also utilizes 27.5 MW of
ReneSola's standard Multi and Virtus high-efficiency modules for its
large-scale solar power plant in Gahro, Germany.

ReneSola Ltd. focuses on improving its operating efficiencies and generating
material cost savings through its vertically-integrated production structure
and the newly introduced diamond-steel wire production process.

However, we are concerned about the tepid demand for solar products in Europe
(especially Germany), rising competition, credit risk from its customers,
oversupply of solar wafer & modules in the market, and the company's high
research and development expenses. The company presently retains a short-term
Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) that corresponds with our long-term Neutral
recommendation on the stock.

Some of its main competitors include

LDK Solar Co. Ltd.

(NYSE:

LDK

) and

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc.

(NYSE:

WFR

).

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