GT Advanced Technologies Inc (GTAT), Corning Incorporated (GLW): Can This Solar Play Return to Its Former Glory?

Besides, given the fact GTAT’s total market capitalization is still less than $400 million — even after last week’s pop — it shouldn’t take much new sapphire business to move its profit needle compared to the huge design wins needed by multibillion dollar giants like Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW). With that in mind, however, GTAT also needs to keep other small sapphire suppliers like Rubicon Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:RBCN) in its sights; its safe to say Rubicon has just as much to gain as GTAT in this market, so we can be sure it will be gunning for much of the same business.

It’s all about 2014
The polysilicon agreement with Powertec also lends credence to the repeated assertions from GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GTAT) management that they believe market demand will finally begin to pick up in 2014, once again driving increased adoption of their furnace technologies. As I noted last month, that’s also why GTAT told us in its most recent earnings conference call that it was “delaying any significant expenditure related to market introduction of [its] HiCz product until 2014.”

In the end, last week’s events not only served to call attention to the huge potential of GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:GTAT)’s products, but also went a long way toward building some much-needed rapport with its shareholders. After what solar industry investors have endured recently, the importance of regaining that confidence can’t be overstated.

The article Can This Solar Play Return to Its Former Glory? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Steve Symington has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Corning, and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Corning, and Google.

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