After yesterday’s disappointment from First Solar (FSLR), a micro-cap play is leading its peers ahead.

Fremont, California-based high-performance compound and single element semiconductor substrates firm AXT (AXTI) is leading the small- and micro-cap solar sector higher to end the week. The company, whose products are used in satellite terrestrial solar cells, among other applications, reported a surprise profit in the third quarter, sending its shares up by 25%.

AXT reported Q3 EPS of 7 cents, crushing analysts’ expectations of a -2 cent loss. Revenue also beat estimates, coming in at $16.8 million.

As a whole, the Solar Stocks Index is mixed on the day. The Index is currently lagging the S&P 500 by -10% over the last month.

Entech Solar (OTC: ENSL), Akeena Solar (AKNS), and DayStar Technologies (DSTI) are trading higher today. All three are valued at less than $100 million.

Meanwhile in the heavyweight division, $10.7 billion First Solar is struggling to recover after weaker-than-expected third-quarter revenues crushed the stock yesterday. Company chairman Mike Ahearn chalked the miss up to a “timing issue,” assuring analysts, “we remain on track for annual guidance.” According to the Associated Press, analysts aren’t discouraged by the results either. If they’re right, First Solar is being offered at a healthy discount after sliding -18% this week.

The Chinese Solar Stocks Index is painted in red today to end a week where only JA Solar (JASO) remains positive. LDK Solar (LDK), Canadian Solar (CSIQ), and Trina Solar (TSL) are all down by -7% or more for the period.

As of this writing, the Solar Stocks Index is one of the 25 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, down by -11.5%.

Investors cheered results from Geron (GERN) on Friday, giving selected stem cell stocks a much needed boost.

A narrowed loss in the third quarter is helping Menlo Park, California-based Geron Corporation move closer to positive territory for the week, a period in which some of its peers have fallen by as much as -25%. Geron lost -$15.2 million in the three months ended September 30, better than the -$17.2 million in the same period last year. Meanwhile, total revenues were up by 35% year-over-year to $494,000.

As a whole, the Stem Cell Stocks Index is ahead by 2.4% today while the broader markets pare yesterday’s 200 point Dow rally. The sector is still trailing the S&P 500 by more than -20% over the last month.

Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM) and StemCells (STEM) are both ahead by more than 4% in today’s session, though they are also all down by more than -4% over the last week.

Meanwhile, Neuralstem (CUR), Cytori Therapeutics (CYTX), and Osiris Therapeutics (OSIR) are extending weekly losses.

Sorting the Stem Cell Stocks Index’s portfolio by ‘% of Daily’ shows that Geron is the only stock in the Index experiencing abnormally high volume. Meanwhile, Opexa’s (OPXA) morning swing is on less than 100,000 shares traded – a mere 20% of its average for the time of this writing.

As of this writing, the Stem Cell Stocks Index is one of the five worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, down by -20%.

It will be interesting to see where billionaire investor George Soros put his fund’s money at the start of Q4.

According to Bloomberg, George Soros said the globally economic recovery is “liable to run out of steam” and is forecasting a “double-dip” led by the United States. A week ago, Soros told the Financial Times that “the main source of the problem is in the United States. This is where consumers have spent more than they earned for a period of 25 years.” As for the stock market, Soros said, “right now we are enjoying the confidence multiplier,” which will disappear when the V-shape recovery investors are hoping for does not come to fruition.

Given his outlook for the economy, it will be interesting to see where Soros put his money heading into the fourth quarter. At the start of Q3, the most recent timeframe available, Soros Fund Management’s top-15 U.S.-listed holdings included a handful of consumer plays. Electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY), drug store Walgreen (WAG), and auto parts retailer AutoZone (AZO) all suffered during the recession, and would likely be hurt similarly in a second dip.

Other holdings at the end of the second quarter included fertilizer plays Monsanto (MON) and Potash of Saskatchewan (POT), as well as energy plays Covanta (CVA), Entergy (ETR), and Brazilian Petroleum (NYSE: PBR, PBR-A).

Tickerspy’s graph charting the performance of Soros’ latest reported holdings shows that the positions forfeited much of the gains they built on the S&P 500 earlier this month, however they remain ahead of the benchmark by 3.6% in October. If you want to see how your performance stacks up to Soros’ or to see some of the other stocks he’s invested in, visit tickerspy.com to see his firm’s top holdings and a chart of their combined performance

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

The casino stock rollercoaster is headed higher today, but given the sector’s recent volatility investors should be ready for a choppy ride.

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) lost -$123 million or -19 cents a share in the third quarter. However, after adjusting for one-time items, which analysts excluded in their -1 cent loss per share expectations, the company posted positive EPS of 3 cents. Reports also emerged that the casino operator received approval for the Hong Kong IPO of its Macau assets, which the AP says should raise $2 billion or more.

The cash from the IPO should help Sands pay down some debt, and the surprise earnings are helping shares higher.

Ahead of the bell, the Casino Stocks Index is down by -10.5% since last Friday. It is now trailing the S&P 500 by -16.6% over the last month.

Earlier this week, casinos sold off after Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and Boyd Gaming (BYD) both reported their Q3 numbers.

Investors will be watching closely when MGM Mirage (MGM) reports its earnings on November 5. The stock is moving higher on positive Las Vegas Sands sentiment, but a 15% run would be required to drag the company into positive territory for the week.

Monarch Casino & Resort (NADSAQ: MCRI), Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL), and Isle of Capri Casinos (ISLE) are among the sector’s worst performers in October.

As of this writing, the Casino Stocks Index is the 10 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, down by -15.5%.

China’s massive Internet market has a number of companies battling for their share of various segments.

Earlier this week, Reuters highlighted what they called “a rare stumble” for China’s top search engine Baidu.com (BIDU). The company’s potential err in judgment regarding the switch to a new ad system could cost it revenues and, more importantly, customers in the near future as Google (GOOG) and other competitors attempt to pick up those put off by the change.

Meanwhile, search engines aren’t the only companies battling for their share of the world’s largest Internet market. The stakes are even higher for components of the Chinese Online Gaming Stocks Index, where the Chinese market was worth nearly $1 billion in Q2 – almost four-times that of the search engines, according to Reuters.

Earlier this week, lowered guidance from Sohu.com (SOHU) gaming spinoff Changyou.com (CYOU) weighed on the sector, where eight of nine U.S.-listed players are negative in the last five sessions.

Netease.com (NTES), the sector’s largest component at $4.6 billion, climbed out of the red for the last week during today’s session. Meanwhile, Perfect World (PWRD) and the segment’s smallest component Webzen (WZEN) are down by less than -1% for the period.

Shanda Interactive Entertainment (SNDA) and Shanda Games (GAME) are both up by more than 10% in today’s session. Shanda Interactive, which spun off its gaming division in September, was the beneficiary of a recent court ruling after a smaller company accused it of abusing its dominant position in the online literature market, according to the Financial Times.

Investors should be wary of developments related to China’s ban of foreign investment in the gaming sector, and keep a close eye on trends in the Chinese Online Gaming Stocks Index.

As of this writing the Index is one of the 25 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, down by -10.5%.

The Chinese information technology sector leapt on Wednesday after impressive earnings from AsiaInfo Holdings (ASIA).

AsiaInfo, a Beijing-based telecommunications software and information technology (IT) play, impressed investors with a 42% spike in year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter. Net income came in at $9.1 million and EPS jumped over 50% to 20 cents a share. President and CEO Steve Zhang said, “Looking forward, we are confident we will finish 2009 on a strong note.” The company offered fourth-quarter EPS guidance of between 28 cents and 29 cents a share. The stock is soaring higher by 18% on the report.

As a whole, the Chinese IT Stocks Index is shooting higher by 8.7% today. While five of the Index’s six components are still down significantly over the last week, the sector as a whole has caught up with the S&P 500 on a one-month basis.

China Information Security Tech (CPBY) is runner-up to AsiaInfo’s daily gain with an 8% rally. It is followed by VanceInfo Technologies (VIT), which will report its earnings on November 17, and China TransInfo Technology (CTFO), the sector’s worst performer over the last week.

Yucheng Technologies (YTEC) investors are hoping its November 5 earnings report will help it recover from the -6.5% drop in the last five sessions.

Micro-cap eFuture Information Technology (EFUT) is the segment’s worst performer today, up by less than 1%.

As a whole, the Chinese IT Stocks Index is one of the 15 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last week, down by -10.5%.

Investors can track the Chinese IT Stocks Index and view a suite of performance metrics at tickerspy.com.

Canadian Energy Trusts have been punished recently, but U.S. GDP growth is helping the sector recoup its losses on Thursday.

The U.S. GDP grew by 3.5% in the third quarter, signaling the end of the recession and sending stocks and commodities up across the board. More than three fourths of the Dow is in positive territory after a three-day sell-off, and some of the biggest winners are those that were beat up earlier in the week.

Oil-tied equities are among today’s winners as the dollar takes a breather from its days-long rebound from 14-month lows. The Canadian Energy Trusts Index is a top performer, outperforming the S&P’s rebound by more than 100 basis points.

While a nearly 2% jump in oil prices is lifting the entire sector, Provident Energy Trust (PVX) is accelerating on news of an C$87 million asset sale. The company will unload its Lloydminster area oil and natural gas assets to privately held Emerge Oil & Gas for C$70 million in cash and C$17 million in equity, according to a press release issued Wednesday evening.

Harvest Energy Trust (HTE) took another step closer to closing its acquisition by government owned Korea National Oil Corporation today, announcing that voting by unit holders will take place on December 15. Shares shot up by a third when the deal was announced, and pending shareholder approval, investors will lock in 45% gains over the last month.

The Index’s heavyweights, Penn West Energy Trust (PWE), Enerplus Resources Fund (ERF), and Baytex Energy Trust (BTE)are all up by 1.5% or more in the session.

Meanwhile, traders sent Enterra Energy Trust (ENT) to its highest level since Monday, before retreating to a more modest 2% gain. Weighing in at under $100 million, the company is less than one tenth the size of Precision Drilling Trust (PDS), the sector’s next-smallest component.

As of this writing, the Canadian Energy Trusts Index is one of the top-5 performing tickerspy Indexes over the last month, despite remaining negative by -9% in the past week.

Investors can track the Canadian Energy Trusts Index and view a suite of performance metrics at tickerspy.com.

A Bloomberg survey marked the Oracle of Omaha the world’s wisest investor.

No surprises here, Warren Buffett is still considered the wisest investor in town – at least according to the investors, traders, and analysts polled by Bloomberg. According to the report, legendary bond fund manager Bill Gross took the silver, and fellow billionaire George Soros came in third.

Consistency was key for Buffett, who took nearly one fourth of the votes. One Greenwich-based hedge fund manager told Bloomberg, there have been a lot of “one-hit wonders” in the last four decades, but “Warren Buffett has outlasted them all.”

Berkshire Hathaway’s (NYSE: BRK-A, BRK-B) investments have certainly been in good hands over the years, and with 13F filings beginning to trickle in, we aren’t expecting too many drastic changes in Buffett’s strategy. Buffett’s top holdings at the start of the third quarter included financials Wells Fargo (WFC), American Express (AXP), and preferred shares of Goldman Sachs (GS) that he picked up near market lows.

Consumer products plays Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Procter & Gamble (PG) were also a part of the Berkshire portfolio, and Coca Cola (KO) represented nearly 20% of aggregate equity holdings.

Buffett’s picks at the end of Q2 had no overlap with the then top-15 U.S.-listed holdings of the Soros Fund. Soros’ opted for fertilizer stocks Monsanto (MON) and Potash of Saskatchewan (POT), as well as drug store Walgreens (WAG) and electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY).

As fresh holdings from the end of Q3 are reported to the SEC in the coming weeks, investors will be able to see the latest moves by these legendary investors, as well as about 3,000 other Pros at tickerspy.com.

Prominent growth investor Louis Navellier was taking profits in many of his top holdings during Q3, though he did open new positions in energy and healthcare.

In a July letter to investors, Navellier said, “Easy year-over-year earnings comparisons in the coming months should help the overall stock market” and that the summer market rally was evidence of a return of investor confidence.

Louis Navellier is well known for his growth-focused investment newsletters, including “Blue Chip Growth,” and he is the founder of Navellier & Associates, an investment advisor with about $3 billion under management. The firm provides investment services including growth-focused mutual funds like its Navellier Fundamental “A” (NFMAX).

Looking at Navellier’s top holdings across all of his funds at the end of Q3, one can see he was increasing stakes in oil and natural gas producer Occidental Petroleum (OXY) and pharmacy benefit management company Medco Health Solutions (MHS).

Elsewhere, Navellier was trimming stakes in tech giants IBM (IBM) and Oracle (ORCL), copper miner Southern Copper (PCU), online retailer Amazon.com (AMZN), and biotech Amgen (AMGN).

Other holdings included tech companies Broadcom (BRCM) and Juniper Networks (JNPR) and Precision Castparts (PCP), which makes metal components and products for the aerospace and power generation industries. According to MoneyShow.com, Navellier has more recently been adding shares of Apple (AAPL).

Tickerspy.com’s graph charting the performance of Navellier’s end-of-Q3 holdings so far during Q4 shows the holdings staying ahead of the market. If you want to see how your performance stacks up to Navellier’s or to see some of the other stocks he’s invested in, visit tickerspy.com to see his firm’s top holdings and a chart of their combined performance.

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions’ top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

The dollar’s rally continued on Wednesday, and one expert said the trend could continue.

After sinking to a 14-month low, the dollar is headed north for its fourth straight session. Today’s report by the Associated Press said simply, “The dollar is dominating energy prices right now.” In the equity markets, precious metals stocks are feeling the pain even worse, and some think the dollar’s rally could continue.

Jim Rogers, chairman of Singapore-based Rogers Holdings, told Bloomberg the trend could continue. “Whenever you have everybody on the same side of the boat, you know what you have to do,” Rogers explained, referring to the overwhelmingly pessimistic outlook for the currency. He continued to note that the dollar’s rally, and subsequent decline in commodities may go on for “a while.”

Over the last week, the PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Bullish (UUP) ETF is the only winner in the Currency ETFs Index. While its 1.5% gain for the period may not seem too impressive, a look at the Index’s performance chart shows that movements among these ETFs tend to be less significant than those of the broad equity market.

Perhaps a better equity indicator of the dollar’s strength the drastic reversal of the Gold and Silver Stocks Index. Miners seemed unstoppable as gold prices charged past all-time highs, but now the entire Index is off in the last week, half by more than -10%.

NovaGold Resources (NG), Kinross Gold (KGC), and Seabridge Gold (SA) have been hurt the worst, down by more than -16% in the last week.

Meanwhile, large-cap play Goldcorp (GG) has also slipped by double-digits for the period. Its peers, Newmont Mining (NEM) and Barrick Gold (ABX) are both down by more than -6.5% in the past five sessions.

Canadian mining stocks have fallen particularly sharply on the dollar’s recent strength. North American Palladium (PAL) is among the worst, down by -18% in five trading days. Its Platinum and Palladium Stocks Index peer, Platinum Group Metals (PLG) is the top-performing Canadian miner for the period, down less than -2%.

As of this writing, the precious metals Indexes mentioned above are all ranked among the 40 worst-performing tickerspy Indexes over the last week, down by more than 8.5%.