Shares of solar companies took a beating Wednesday as Trina Solar and LDK Solar reduced revenue guidance, citing the effect of a tight credit market and losses due to a weakening euro.

“You’re coming out with negative guidance in a negative market, and that takes a toll,” said Cory Garcia, an analyst with Raymond James.

Still, Mr. Garcia said he was surprised at how intense the decline was since investors were already aware of the pressures on the industry.

By mid-afternoon trading, SunPower shares were down $2.60, or 9 percent; First Solar was down $7.18, or 6.5 percent; and Suntech Power was down 86 cents, or 8.5 percent.

By comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 2.85 percent in mid-afternoon trading.

Trina Solar, a Chinese solar power equipment producer, trimmed its full-year 2008 revenue guidance to between $800 million and $850 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for $882 million for the year. And LDK Solar, a Chinese producer of solar wafers, the raw material for solar cells, guided for forth-quarter revenue of about $550 million, while analysts were expecting $580 million.

In afternoon trading, Trina Solar stock dropped 23 cents, or 3.19 percent, and LDK Solar shares lost $1.86, or 12.5 percent.

Both companies, however, posted growth in earnings for the third quarter. Trina reported net income of $32.1 million, or $1.17 per share, from $7.8 million, or 31 cents, in the year-earlier period. LDK Solar posted net income of $88.4 million, or 77 cents a share, compared with $41.6 million, or 37 cents, in the same period in 2007.