Barron's Picks And Pans: First Solar, General Dynamics, Tesla And More

• This weekend's Barron's cover story examines a stock poised to shine in the solar industry gloom.
• Other featured articles discuss a Latin America cable TV outfit set to rally and a business jet maker showing signs of life after a long slump.
• The leading electric vehicle maker and an online travel booker are also examined.

"Will New Tariffs Dim the Solar-Power Boom?" the cover story by Avi Salzman and Bill Alpert, suggests that as the White House weighs taking action, there is one U.S. company poised to keep gaining no matter what. See why First Solar, Inc. FSLR "could be the sunniest spot in a cloudy industry," according to one expert quoted in the article, and which companies could be the losers.

Andrew Bary's "Blue Skies Ahead for Malone's LiLAC Group" makes a case that one tracking stock in the Liberty Media universe, Liberty Global plc - Class C Ordinary Shares LILAK, looks poised to rally from depressed levels. Representing cable-TV magnate John Malone's Latin American and Caribbean cable assets, LiLAC Group may be spun off by the end of the year.

In "Business-Jet Market Ready to Fly High Again," Lawrence C. Strauss shows why, with the market for corporate aircraft showing signs of life after a long slump since the Great Recession, General Dynamics Corporation GD stands out from its rivals as the way to play it. See why Barron's thinks the maker of the most popular corporate jets offers the most promise to investors.

See also: Why Amazon Needs To Partner With Or Buy A Pharmacy Benefit Manager

One analyst believes electric cars will be cheaper than traditional cars by the early to mid-2020s, according to "Watch Out, Tesla. The Competition Is Gaining" by Emily Bary. See why Barron's believes that the increasing affordability of these vehicles is not all good news for Tesla Inc TSLA. "We see the competitive tides shifting in 2019 and beyond," says the analyst.

In Jack Hough's follow-up article, "Expedia Shares Have Room to Rise," see why Barron's feels the HomeAway acquisition is starting to look like a home run for travel-booking outfit Expedia Inc EXPE. Is a double-digit return over the next year as likely as Barron's suggests? U.S. travel is growing faster than the economy, says the article, and online travel spending is growing even faster.

Also In This Week's Barron's

• Whether enthusiasm for the GOP tax-cut plan is premature.
• Why the bears are still hibernating.
• The heroes of artificial intelligence.
• Why biotech exchange-traded funds could offer more opportunity now.
• A new app that gives small investors a shot at IPOs.
• Why personal saving may be much stronger than it looks.
• Whether hedge fund managers could face higher taxes.
• How holiday hiring has gotten more competitive for retailers.