>>> First Solar -1.3% Pre Market on FY14 Guidance Revision --> Details


First Solar Inc. Guides FY14 EPS $2.20-2.60 v $3.33e, Rev $3.7-4.0B v $3.8Be, production 1.9-2.0 GW (one year ago guided $2.50-4.00, R$3.5-4.0B, prod 1.8-2.2 GW) - analyst day slides
- Guides FY14 capex $300-350M, gross margin 16-18%, op cash flow $250-450M

- Guides FY15 EPS $4.50-6.00 v $3.95e, Rev $3.8-4.3B v $4.18Be, op cash flow $300-600M (one year ago guided $4.00-6.00, R$4.2-4.8B)
- Guides FY16 EPS $3.50-5.00, Rev $3.8-4.5B, op cash flow $800M-1.3B, gross margin 15-20%, op margin 8-12%

(Manager Magazin) Siemens plans to cut levels of the hierarchy

{http://bit.ly/1ekTITN} Google Translation
{http://bit.ly/1igRJk2} Original in german

The industrial group Siemens is expected along its two levels of management sectors and divisions. In addition, Siemens chief inspector Gerhard Cromme has a new part-time job.

Hamburg - Europe's largest industrial conglomerate Siemens plans to cut hierarchy levels as part of its reorganization. One of the two senior levels of management, sectors and divisions will fall away with great certainty. The reported manager magazine in its new issue (publication date:. 21:03), citing Siemens Supervisory circuits. A decision had not been taken.

Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser wants early May present a new strategy to stop with Siemens for the loss of market share and the earnings gap to big rivals such as General Electric and ABB will close at the latest. For months the directors to Kaeser working on a new structure for the Group. Meanwhile, distinguished according to manager magazin first cornerstone of the new structure. Discussed is a denomination of the value chain in six to seven areas, from power generation to sectors such as building, industrial automation and medical technology. Debated Siemens sources said also about zuzusammenfassen the development of software platforms across all business in a cross-section function.
This would suit Kaeser statements at the AGM in January: The CEO announced that Siemens will focus "in its structure" on its value chain of electrification on automation and across all lines increasingly important digitization. A Siemens spokesman declined to comment.

Kaeser will flatter hierarchies

With flatter hierarchies Kaeser wants to ensure that executives back stronger to take responsibility and get problems on major projects previously on the board. In the past seven years, Siemens had € 700 million special charges per year verhagelt the income on average. In the autumn was in the regional organization already has a hierarchy level, the regional cluster, has been removed.

From the organization that once Kaeser predecessor Peter Löscher has created, so that not too much is expected to remain. Currently, the widely ramified Group is divided into the four sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and medical technology as well as 16 below it moved divisions.
Cromme provided as Chairman of the Trustees of the Glyptothek

Reportedly from Siemens circles on, Kaeser is expected to announce the beginning of May, no extensive sales program. The highly profitable medical stay in the group, including the once acquired laboratory diagnostics. Only for smaller businesses such as microbiology a buyer being sought.

Meanwhile, Siemens is chief inspector Gerhard Cromme prior to the acquisition of a new, reputierlichen post: Cromme wants to be elected in June as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Munich Glyptothek, a collection of ancient sculptures of the Free State of Bavaria. Cromme there would Karl-Hermann Baumann (78) follow. Baumann, who was until 2005 Siemens supervisory board chairman, gives the Board of Trustees chaired off after 15 years

>>> First Solar Inc. To partner with GE to develop a more cost effective and pro


First Solar Inc. To partner with GE to develop a more cost effective and productive utility-scale PV power
- First Solar has integrated new technology into its modules and optimized them for 1500VDC applications. Combined with GEs 4MW ProSolar 1500V inverter/transformer stations, this development enables power plant engineering design that significantly increases the size of the solar array served by each inverter and reduces the number of inverter/transformer stations required for each plant to convert the power from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and feed electricity to a commercial electrical grid. The resulting plant design maintains high power delivery while lowering installation and maintenance costs.
- Morjaria said First Solar has already identified projects under construction for initial deployment of the new 1500v system. The 4MW ProSolar 1500V station is the largest inverter in the industry capable of accommodating 1,500 volt DC solar arrays, which is a major factor in utilizing economies of scale by significantly increasing the array size and reducing the number of inverters required by a solar power plant.

>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up 

In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: PSUN +9%, OXGN +2.5%, ADBE +0.8%, KBH +0.8%, ALOT +0.6%.

M&A news: HZNP +19.6% (to acquire Vidara Therapeutics; accelerated transformation of Horizon to a profitable specialty pharma company ),YHOO +0.9% ( Bloomberg discusses that YHOO may make larger acquisitions following Alibaba).

Select EU financial related names showing strength: DB 2.7%, NBG 1.8%, BCS 1.7%.

Select 3D Printing stocks trading higher: DDD +1.2%, XONE +1.0%.

Other news: PRTA +8.5% (announced clinical data to be presented at International Symposium on Amyloidosis), WPCS +7.2% (announced that the beta version of the BTX trader platform), EXAS +7.1% (results of a clinical trial of Cologuard show unprecedented rates of precancer and cancer detection by a noninvasive test), CWH +3.5% (Corvex Management and Related Fund Management announce that holders of over 81% of outstanding shares approve removal of entire Board of Trustees), PLUG +3.5% (cont vol), CERE +3.3% (still checking), NSPH +2.2% (entered into $30 mln common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital), VRNS +2.2% (still checking), THRX +2.1% (disclosed it was informed by its partner, Clinigen, that the European Commission has lifted the Europe-wide suspension of Marketing Authorization and amended the Marketing Authorization for VIBATIV), WLT +2% (commences private offerings of $100 mln aggregate principal amount of 9.500% senior secured notes due 2019 and $350 mln aggregate principal amount of senior secured second lien PIK toggle notes due 2020), FCEL +1.8% (continued vol), OPTT +1.7% (still checking).

Analyst comments: CGEN +4.5% (initiated with a Buy at Jefferies), JNPR +3.3% (upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo), TEVA +1.4% (upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman), SU +1.1% (initiated with a Sector Outperform at CIBC Wrld Mkts), RIG +1% (upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Citigroup), EPD +0.9% (upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse)

>>> US Gapping down

Gapping down
In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance: RENN -9%, ATU -3.8%, ESLT -3%, ORCL -2.9%, VRA -2.6%, SCTY -0.8%.

Select metals/mining stocks trading lower: KGC -1.4%, ABX -1.3%, GLD -0.6%, GDX -0.6%, IAG -0.5%, AUY -0.5%.

Other news: USU -14.9% (trading lower on light volume; looking around. The co has not provided update since March 5 restructuring plan news), GLW -5.2% (still checking, light volume), RBCN -4.8% (announced proposed public offering of common stock by selling shareholders), DK -3.9% (hearing block trade, unconfirmed), ORC -3.3% (announced public offering of 4 mln shares of common stock), NUS -3.1% (earlier today co disclosed in 10-K filing that it voluntarily suspended business promotional meetings and other activities in mainland China; sees fines from regulators as 'likely'), VGR -2% (filed for $150 mln offering of Variable Interest Convertible Senior Notes due 2020).

Analyst comments: OWW -6.1% (downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman), WETF -3.7% (downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Citigroup), TLM -0.9% (initiated with a Sector Underperform at CIBC Wrld Mkts).

>>> US Early premarket gappers

Early premarket gappers

Gapping up: EXAS +15.7%, PRTA +13.6%, CWH +4.9%, CGEN +4.7%, DB +2.4%, NSPH +2.2%, THRX +2.1%, PSUN +2%, RIG +1.3%, VRA +1.2%, COCO +0.7%, KBH +0.7%, TSLA +0.6%

Gapping down: RBCN -5.2%, NUS -4.8%, RENN -4.5%, ORC -3.3%, ORCL -3%, OXGN -2.5%, VGR -2.4%, SCTY -1.6%, KGC -1.4%, ATU -1.4%, AUY -1.3%, ABX -1.2%, IAG -1%, GFI -1%, GLD -0.7%, GDX -0.7%

(BFW) SKF to Schaeffler Fined $1.33 Bln by EU in Ball-Bearings Cartel

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SKF to Schaeffler Fined $1.33 Bln by EU in Ball-Bearings Cartel 2014-03-19 10:25:00.8 GMT

By Aoife White and Gaspard Sebag March 19 (Bloomberg) -- SKF AB, Schaeffler AG, NTN Corp., NSK Ltd. and Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. agreed to pay a combined EU953.3 mln ($1.33 billion) fine to settle a European Union antitrust probe into automotive ball-bearings, EU says. * Jtekt Corp. escaped a penalty for blowing the whistle on the cartel, the European Commission says * Schaeffler fined EU370.5m, SKF fined EU315.1m, NTN fined EU201.4m, NSK EU62.4m and Nachi-Fujikoshi EU3.96m * “Today’s decision is a further milestone in the commission’s ongoing effort to bust cartels in the markets for car parts, after the sanctions we imposed on producers of electric wires and of foam used in car seats,” Competition Commission Joaquin Almunia says in e-mailed statement * SEE: EU Said to Fine Ball-Bearings Makers to Settle Cartel Probe {NSN N2N1656K50YC <GO>} * SEE: SKF to Book 3 Billion-Krona Provision to Cover Possible Fine {NSN MY3TUP6VDKHV <GO>}

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To contact the reporter on this story: Gaspard Sebag in Brussels at +32-2-285-4317 or gsebag@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Chapman at +32-2-285-4318 or pchapman10@bloomberg.net