JA Solar sees solar prices down 8-10 pct in '09

LOS ANGELES, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Chinese solar cell maker JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd (JASO.O) expects average prices in the solar segment it serves to drop between 8 and 10 percent next year, a top company executive said on Thursday.

In addition, the company could maintain its gross margins even with a 15 percent decline in prices, Jane Wu, vice president of business development, said during a presentation at the Deutsche Bank 2008 Technology Conference.

JA Solar shares were up 40 cents, or 3.3 percent, at $12.52 in afternoon trade on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Bernard Orr)