Investing

Here are excerpts from an  article that was originally published on AltEnergy Stocks. It included a list of 10 clean energy stocks for 2013, along with their price as of the close on December 28th:  1. Waterfurnace Renewable Energy (TSX: WFI / OTC: WFIFF) Waterfurnace has appeared in my annual picks several times over the years because they are a pure-play leader in geothermal heat pumps, which the US EPA calls "the most efficient way to heat and cool a building." Heat pumps have a high up-front cost, and so they benefit from low interest rates and a high price...

A growing number of stock exchanges around the world are recommending sustainability reporting. A number of diverse groups support sustainability reporting including the Rio+20 (negotiating text) and the U.N. (secretary general’s High Level Panel on Global Sustainability). The Brazilian stock exchange (BM&FBOVESPA), also recommends that its listed companies either publish sustainability reports or explain why they do not. The initiative is intended to create a public database of reporting which was made available at Rio+20. BM&FBOVESPA says it was the second exchange in the world and the first in the Americas to use the GRI sustainability reporting model in its own...

After the election of Obama, many believed that we would see a surge in alternative energy stock prices, but this did not happen. As reviewed in a Renewable Energy World article “of the approximately 250 alternative energy companies that the Roen Financial Report tracks, only 21 companies, or less than 9%, were gainers. In other words, losers beat gainers by a 10:1 ratio! On average, alternative energy companies were down 5.8%, with 35 companies showing double-digit losses for the week. Of the 21 gainers, fully half were volatile penny stocks with market caps less than $100 million, so those gains...

According to the Financial Times lexicon, "ESG" (environmental, social and governance) is a generic term used in capital markets and used by investors to evaluate corporate behavior and to determine the future financial performance of companies. ESG factors include sustainable, ethical and corporate governance issues such as managing a company's carbon footprint and safeguarding systems in place to ensure full accountability. The investment world has incorporated ESG talk in order to describe the performance of investment and fund portfolios on environmental, social and governance criteria. Fund managers and financial analysts who can interpret and relate ESG factors to a company's...

According to a Deloitte report, information about a company's environmental conduct directly impacts its market value. The report from is titled, “Drivers of Long-Term Business Value: Stakeholders, Stats and Strategy.” The research drew on an MIT study of US publicly traded companies from 1980 to 2009. The 30 years of data reviewed in the study showed that stock prices dropped an average of 0.65 percent within a two-day window following the release of negative environmental news. The risks from bad news appear to be greater than the benefits of good news. As reviewed in the study, investors tended to react...

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) was published on June 6, 2012. This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report indicates there are major issues related to water, marine pollution and fish stocks Water Of the 30 environmental goals examined in relation to water, only one goal – that of increasing access to clean drinking water – shows significant progress. But less progress has been made in rural areas, especially in Africa and the Pacific. Despite some improvements, water quality remains the largest cause of human health problems worldwide. At the same time, climate change and further population growth are likely to result in...

You won't hear traditional investment managers say this: The Earth is warming, some formerly abundant resources are becoming scarce, populations are increasing, and the global economy is beginning to change to reflect these realities. Green Alpha® Advisors seeks to identify, and purchase shares in companies that put their businesses in the path of these changes - companies with business models that both disrupt business-as-usual and represent the next, green economy. They focus on companies with proven, profitable businesses. They still believe in buy and hold, and they reject the notion that the true value of a good company changes ten...

The stock market has not performed well in 2011 and green stocks are no exception. If the US can maintain its current trajectory and Europe can avoid slipping into recession, 2012 may prove to be a better year for the alternative energy and cleantech sector. The overall environment was not the only drag on stocks in 2011, the Chinese flooded the market with cheap solar panels, bringing the price down and taking some solar companies with it. Canaccord Genuity has its “Best Ideas” list for the CleanTech sector in 2012 and they are focused on companies which are adopting trends...

The Johnson Graduate School of Management and the Kellogg School of Management have joined forces to launch the 2011 International Impact Investing Challenge. This competition is unique because it challenges MBA students to solve the world’s biggest problems – poverty, climate change, ecosystem degradation – with innovation and entrepreneurship.The competition will challenge MBA students to achieve economic returns that support progress on global impact issues. Teams from a dozen top MBA programs are competing for more than $40,000 in awards in a final event at J.P. Morgan in New York City on April 8.The International Impact Investing Challenge is an...

Energy efficiency represents the most expedient approach to reducing energy consumption and C02 emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), one dollar invested in more efficient electrical equipment avoids more than 2 dollars in investment in electricity supply. Manufacturers of LEDs (light emitting diodes) are producing lighting that is environmentally friendlier and considerably more energy efficient than traditional lighting products. The potential savings from LEDs are truly remarkable as approximately 12.5 percent of global electricity production is used for lighting. To help investors see the value of renewable energy, The Green Market followed the progress of Solar, Wind, and...