While the larger stock brokers have seen reduced profits,the smaller ones have had to shut down or sell.This trend has been exacerbated last year with the rise of computer controlled algorithmic trading.Most of these small brokers which used arbitraging strategy to generate profits have seen their main business evaporate.Retail investors in India have also avoided the stock market which has become a corruption landmine.With even top institutions like GMO,Goldman becoming victims of frauds,individual investors have no chance.Also market operators have made the Indian stock market a pump and dump heaven even as SEBI takes a long time to crack down on the abuses.

Chinese Wind Turbine Companies have unleashed a global price war in which Western producers are unable to compete.While Solar Panel producers in the West are dying like flies,Western WTG Makers too face survival questions.Vestas which is the world’s biggest turbine company in terms of installations announced another revenue shortfall for the nth time in the last couple of years.The company has already restructed ,reduce workforce etc etc.However the price competition from the Asian companies is too severe and too sustained for Vestas to surive too long.Like First Solar,Vestas seems a likely candidate for takeover by one of the big industrial conglomerates.It has become too tough for a renewable energy company in the West to survive on their own.

Biomass Plants in India are shutting down as feedstock costs have increased rapidly while government regulated electricity tariffs have yet to increase.60% of India’s Biomass Plants have closed down as they are longer profitable.Note India has a massive growth target for biomass electricity capacity up from 1 GW at present (2 GW if you count cogeneration).A number of agricultural companies have set up a number of plants besides dedicated green utilities.However inflation in India has affected the operation of plants specially those who don’t have inhouse feedstock supply.

Seeing Stocks Markets these days would make one think that the world economy has managed surpass the problems of the European Union Debt Crisis,the slowing of China,India’s governance led slowdown etc.However big global companies continue to bunker down reducing job headcount and reducing investment.Despite record levels of cash and big profits,MNCs are not increasing their investment giving a thumbs down to efforts by policymakers to boost growth through record low interest rates.RBS has been rumored to cut 10,000 jobs in its investment banking division while Pepsi which has a mostly recession proof business too is cutting down.India’s beleagured airline Kingfisher is set to cut 2000 jobs as well.

Satcon the US solar inverter producer has been 0ne of the worst hit solar inverter manufacturers and has seen massive reduction in revenues and profits.With the solar industry in massive oversupply,the photovoltaic inverter market has also seen a big hit.While the bigger solar inverter producers like SMA Solar and Power-One too have seen job reductions and revenue hits,Satcon has been worse hit due to its small scale.The company has now decided to slash 35% of its workforce consisting of 140 solar jobs due to the ongoing solar crisis.Note other solar companies in the USA such as Solyndra,Spectrawatt have completely closed down while the smaller ones are on the verge of closing as well.

China has announced a new solar subsidy for BIPV systems of 9 Yuan per Watt ($1.4/watt) and CNY 7/watt for PV systems for home.Note China has already become a top 5 market in the world in 2011 after announcing a $1.15/kwh Feed in Tariff for utility scale solar power instalations.This new subsidy by the Chinese ministry of finance should boost the home and commercial segment.Note China had recently raised the target of solar energy to 15 GW by 2015 from 10 GW as solar energy has grown amazingly fast in the recent past.