Stocks of big Chinese solar manufacturers rose sharply again on Thursday, on news that Beijing wants to cool severe price cutting that has troubled the sector this year.
Massive overcapacity among panel makers and price discounts undertaken to sell stock have sparked price wars and fears that more cuts could entrench deflation and undermine the broader economy.
The prices of some components fell by nearly 30% in the year to May, according to one estimate.
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Shares of top manufacturer JA Solar rose nearly 10% and have gained 20% since July 1, when the top leaders of the world’s second biggest economy vowed measures to halt the price wars in the solar and other industries.
That step was followed by an industry ministry pledge on July 3 to curb price wars and phase out outdated capacity in the solar industry.
Prices in the solar industry have fallen nearly 30% between May 2024 and May 2025, the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) assessment for high-efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules shows.
Stock prices of peers Longi Green Energy, JinkoSolar and Trina Solar have risen more than 10% this month. The companies did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Last week Longi told state media it would commercialise high-efficiency products sooner to overcome the low-price dilemma.
Polysilicon sees big rise
Polysilicon has seen an even sharper rise since the beginning of July, with stocks of Xinjiang Daqo New Energy, DQ and Tongwei both up 29%.
Shares of Shanghai-listed Daqo closed at 26.48 yuan ($3.69) on Thursday, their highest in nearly seven months. Daqo did not respond to an emailed request for comment and Tongwei declined to comment.
“Whether solar share price rises this time will be sustainable depends on if effective policy is released,” Pierre Lau, managing director of Citi, said in a note on Thursday.
He added that previous initiatives to scale back excess capacity in the sector had driven up prices as much as 40% in two weeks in October 2024, to levels that ultimately proved unsustainable.
Prices were also supported by unconfirmed rumours that the powerful state planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), held meetings with polysilicon producers asking them to keep prices above cost level.
NDRC did not respond to a faxed request for comment.
The market price in China is less than $4.50 a kg, below most manufacturers’ cash costs, says consultancy Berneuter Research.
In addition, Tongwei and polysilicon producing peer GCL were preparing a plan to set up a new company to buy up excess factory capacity, media outlet Caixin said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Prices of polysilicon have risen between 18% and 21% over the last two weeks, but downstream solar manufacturers are still resisting the hikes, Citi’s Lau said.
- Reuters with additional editing by Jim Pollard
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