Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ)
NASDAQ:CSIQ

Canadian Solar (CSIQ) AI Stock Analysis

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Canadian Solar

(NASDAQ:CSIQ)

53Neutral
Canadian Solar's overall stock score reflects its mixed financial performance, technical pressure, and challenging valuation. While there are positive long-term growth prospects and significant investments in American manufacturing, profitability challenges and high leverage raise concerns. The earnings call highlighted both opportunities in shipments and risks in project delays and market pressures, contributing to a moderate score.
Positive Factors
Financial Performance
Management expects gross margin percentage to improve as the battery mix grows.
Market Position
Canadian Solar is a perennial top-5 manufacturer of solar cells and modules globally; its battery energy storage business is growing faster than the industry.
Strategic Expansion
The company's focus on expanding US solar manufacturing is in line with the US government's focus on near-shoring and helps navigate solar tariffs.
Negative Factors
Market Risks
Investors are skeptical of CSIQ's ability to circumvent any anti-China policies that could make their US solar and storage expansions unprofitable.
Operational Challenges
The North American business of Canadian Solar faces multiple tariff and duty related headwinds, impacting a significant portion of its revenue.
Profitability Concerns
Profitability is expected to deteriorate due to increasing competition and challenges in sourcing cells from countries not subject to tariffs.

Canadian Solar (CSIQ) vs. S&P 500 (SPY)

Canadian Solar Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCanadian Solar (CSIQ) is a leading global solar energy company that specializes in the design, manufacturing, and sales of solar photovoltaic modules and the development of utility-scale solar power projects. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Ontario, Canada, Canadian Solar operates in both the solar manufacturing and solar energy segments, providing a wide range of solar energy solutions to customers worldwide.
How the Company Makes MoneyCanadian Solar generates revenue primarily through two main business segments: module and system solutions, and energy. In the module and system solutions segment, the company earns money by manufacturing and selling solar modules, which are distributed globally to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. This segment also includes the provision of solar system kits and other solar-related products. In the energy segment, Canadian Solar develops, constructs, and sells solar power plants. It earns additional revenue by providing operations and maintenance services for these plants. The company also operates some of its solar power plants, generating income from the sale of electricity. Significant partnerships with governments, financial institutions, and utility companies worldwide help facilitate project development and expansion, further contributing to its earnings.

Canadian Solar Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Canadian Solar faces profitability and cash flow challenges, with a declining gross profit margin and a sharp decrease in net profit margin. Revenue and EBIT margin declines indicate operational pressures. The balance sheet shows significant leverage, with a high debt-to-equity ratio and low return on equity, despite a substantial cash reserve. Cash flow management issues are evident, with negative free cash flow growth and operational cash flow challenges.
Income Statement
70
Positive
The income statement shows a moderate performance with a declining gross profit margin from 16.81% in 2023 to 16.12% TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months). The net profit margin saw a sharp decline to 0.01% TTM from 3.60% in 2023, indicating profitability challenges. Revenue growth is negative, with a decrease of 18.89% from 2023 to TTM. The EBIT margin also decreased to 1.02% TTM, reflecting pressure on operational efficiency. However, EBITDA margin remains relatively stable at 6.76% TTM.
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
The balance sheet reveals a high debt-to-equity ratio of 2.08 TTM, suggesting significant leverage. Return on equity decreased to 0.03% TTM, indicating challenges in generating returns on equity. The equity ratio is relatively low at 20.85% TTM, showing moderate financial stability. Despite the high leverage, the company has a substantial cash reserve.
Cash Flow
50
Neutral
The cash flow statement indicates deterioration, with free cash flow declining significantly. Free cash flow growth rate is negative at -205.14% TTM, and operating cash flow to net income ratio is negative, reflecting operational cash flow challenges. The free cash flow to net income ratio is also negative, highlighting cash flow management issues.
Breakdown
TTMDec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020Dec 2019
Income StatementTotal Revenue
6.17B7.61B7.47B5.28B3.48B3.20B
Gross Profit
995.69M1.28B1.26B909.31M689.91M718.50M
EBIT
63.13M453.32M356.06M-81.34M20.62M111.19M
EBITDA
417.19M829.66M675.15M494.31M423.51M439.62M
Net Income Common Stockholders
762.00K274.19M239.97M95.25M146.70M171.59M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
290.83M1.96B981.43M869.83M1.18B668.77M
Total Assets
1.42B11.90B9.04B7.39B6.54B5.47B
Total Debt
620.85M4.48B4.01B3.26B2.81B2.42B
Net Debt
332.20M2.54B3.03B2.39B1.63B1.75B
Total Liabilities
888.38M8.19B6.73B5.26B4.64B4.04B
Stockholders Equity
534.33M2.56B1.94B1.80B1.57B1.39B
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
-2.57B-840.85M288.63M-837.75M-455.48M308.93M
Operating Cash Flow
-760.71M684.62M916.63M-408.25M-120.54M600.11M
Investing Cash Flow
-1.82B-1.67B-630.49M-429.57M-319.66M-294.10M
Financing Cash Flow
2.41B2.05B428.64M614.07M823.50M-34.61M

Canadian Solar Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price7.58
Price Trends
50DMA
10.04
Negative
100DMA
10.95
Negative
200DMA
12.76
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.35
Positive
RSI
35.93
Neutral
STOCH
9.70
Positive
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CSIQ, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 7.58 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 9.44, below the 50-day MA of 10.04, and below the 200-day MA of 12.76, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.35 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 35.93 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 9.70 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for CSIQ.

Canadian Solar Risk Analysis

Canadian Solar disclosed 63 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Canadian Solar reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Canadian Solar Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (57)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
75
Outperform
$13.78B10.7117.62%26.75%55.24%
JKJKS
69
Neutral
$810.71M102.540.29%18.83%-11.91%-87.40%
57
Neutral
$18.57B9.42-13.42%2.72%5.01%-23.43%
53
Neutral
$559.18M14.011.34%-21.68%-99.75%
51
Neutral
$906.72M-116.01%-68.86%-4917.87%
RURUN
46
Neutral
$1.58B-73.12%-9.83%-71.44%
33
Underperform
$43.27M307.38%-43.42%-53.77%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CSIQ
Canadian Solar
7.58
-9.79
-56.36%
FSLR
First Solar
128.69
-50.53
-28.19%
JKS
JinkoSolar
15.72
-6.21
-28.32%
SEDG
SolarEdge Technologies
14.71
-52.24
-78.03%
RUN
Sunrun
6.99
-4.89
-41.16%
MAXN
Maxeon Solar Technologies
2.80
-270.20
-98.97%

Canadian Solar Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date: Mar 25, 2025 | % Change Since: -21.86% | Next Earnings Date: May 15, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call reflected a challenging year for Canadian Solar, with significant achievements in energy storage growth and strategic manufacturing expansions being offset by financial pressures from market downturns, tariff impacts, and asset impairments.
Highlights
Record Energy Storage Growth
Energy storage shipments reached 6.6 GWh for the year, representing a more than 500% year-over-year increase.
Strategic U.S. Manufacturing Expansion
Continued progress on manufacturing facilities in Mesquite, Texas, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, to enhance domestic production capabilities.
Resilience in Challenging Market
Despite a difficult operating environment, Canadian Solar maintained relatively strong profitability and achieved $6.5 billion in full-year revenue with an 18.4% gross margin.
Strong Project Development and Execution
Successful execution with 1.3 GW of solar projects brought to commercial operation and a significant project pipeline of 25 GW of solar and 75 GWh of energy storage.
Lowlights
Lower-than-Expected Financial Performance
Fourth-quarter revenue was at the lower end of expectations, impacted by project delays and lower gross margins due to tariffs and inventory write-downs.
Continued Market Pressure and Tariffs
Significant tariff and duty impacts, particularly from AD/CVD and Section 201 duties, affecting margins on module shipments from Southeast Asia.
Project Impairments and Challenges
Impairments in manufacturing assets and project assets negatively impacted financial results, including a $65 million impairment related to PERC manufacturing assets.
Operational and Financial Headwinds
Global market downturn with structural overcapacity and intensified competition leading to financial pressures across the solar industry.
Company Guidance
During Canadian Solar's Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings Conference Call, the company provided guidance for the upcoming fiscal periods, emphasizing several key metrics. The first quarter of 2025 is expected to see module shipments between 6.4 and 6.7 gigawatts and energy storage deliveries of around 800 megawatt hours. Revenue projections for Q1 range from $1 billion to $1.2 billion, with a gross margin anticipated between 9% and 11%. For the full year of 2025, Canadian Solar reaffirmed its volume guidance, predicting module shipments of 30 to 35 gigawatts and energy storage shipments of 11 to 13 gigawatt hours, aiming for a total revenue between $7.3 billion and $8.3 billion. The company acknowledged ongoing challenges such as geopolitical uncertainties and market consolidation but expressed confidence in their strategic initiatives to enhance margins and leverage their US manufacturing capabilities.
Glossary
OutperformA stock rated as "Outperform" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider this stock a good buying opportunity.
NeutralA stock rated as "Neutral" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly attractive nor unattractive for investment. Investors may consider holding onto the stock, as it is not expected to either significantly outperform or underperform the market.
UnderperformA stock rated as "Underperform" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock may deliver lower returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider selling the stock or avoiding it as an investment.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.