Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2010: Q1 Update
Tom Konrad, CFA Three months have passed since I published my annual clean energy mini-portfolio. So far, these stocks have beaten the Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) handily, but they trail the broader market. This is the third year in a row I've published a list of ten stocks for the year ahead at the end of December. In 2008 my list trailed the broader stock market but beat the clean energy index, and last year it outperformed both. So far, this year looks more like 2008 than 2009. In addition to the portfolio of ten...
Covanta and Green Plains Partners Don’t Let A Crisis Go To Waste
by Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA
Last week, two of the stocks in my Ten Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio cut their dividends. Covanta Holding Corp (CVA) dropped its quarterly payout from $0.25 to $0.08 (a 68% cut) while Green Plains Partners (GPP) slashed its quarterly distribution from $0.475 to $0.12, a drop of 74.75%.
Before reducing their dividends, both companies had payout ratios near 100%, meaning that substantially all of their free cash flow was going to pay dividends. In general, companies are very reluctant to cut their dividends because it is a signal that their management thinks they cannot grow...
Young Financial Analysts Don’t Follow Alt E
Joel Makower has a written a good article about how "young financial analysts are extremely skeptical about the relevance" of investing in Alternative Energy and other environmental issues. You can read his article and also view the full report via Joel's website.
See You Later, Hannon Armstrong
by Tom Konrad Ph.D., CFA
Sustainable infrastructure financier Hannon Armstrong (NYSE:HASI) is not in my Ten Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio for the first year since its IPO in 2013. I still love the company and its business model, but I have become concerned about its short term prospects.
Dividend Disappointment?
In my last update on the 2017 portfolio, I wrote,
“Sustainable infrastructure and clean energy financier Hannon Armstrong reported earnings on November 1st. The headline numbers were lower than expected, but for a very good reason. The company has spent the last few months locking in low interest rates by refinancing its...
Clean Energy Stocks Gone With the Wind
Tom Konrad CFA Unenchanted April After a great January, the last three months have not been kind to clean energy stocks. While my model portfolios are still in positive territory (+5.4% and +0.9% for the unhedged and hedged portfolios, respectively), and are above my clean energy benchmark (The Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF, -3.4%), they have again fallen behind my broader market index, the Russell 2000 (+7.3%.) Gone with the Wind trailer, public domain Gone With the Wind April saw the chances of...
Make or Break Time
The markets have been in flux the last couple of weeks. I feel we are at a make or break time for the general trend of the market. Yesterday the S&P 500 was trying to close above the 200 day Moving Average but it failed. A close above this level will give me good reason to start investing some money again. Today the markets are down again and when you look at the S&P the 1210 level looks to be some solid resistance. People may wonder why I'm so concerned about the very short term trend of...
Two Green Stocks I Told My Sister to Sell
Tom Konrad CFA I guide my sister through the stock market, she guides me through the mountains. Once a year, I give my sister stock trading advice. Managing money is not her thing, so any more often and she’d likely lose interest, and not do anything. With that constraint, I wait until there are a large number of stocks I think she should trade, and send he a list of trades, along with quantities and limit prices for her to enter “good ’til canceled.” Last May, I told her...
What 11 Clean Energy Stocks Did on My Summer Vacation
Tom Konrad CFA August Overview I was traveling for much of the month of August, and so did not keep up with most of my stocks. But not much happened while I was gone, with the broad market and renewable energy stocks both producing small gains for the month of a little over three percent, as measured by my benchmarks, the Russell 2000 index (^RUT, 3.4%), and the most widely held clean energy ETF, the Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF (PBW, 3.2%). My Clean Energy model portfolio also had a relatively uneventful month,...
Q2 Performance Update: Ten Green Energy Gambles for 2009
Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA I never thought 2009 would be a good year for risky stocks, but my readers asked for them anyway. So far, my risk taking readers have not been burnt too badly, and the portfolio as a whole continues to track its benchmarks. In my first quarter update for my green energy gambles for 2009, I noted that the portfolio had lost about 10%, between the benchmark returns (-12% and -5%), but not very impressive. Since then, the portfolio as a whole has gained a little ground, and is almost exactly midway between the benchmarks. The...
Ten Clean Energy Stocks For 2017: Taking Profits
By Tom Konrad Ph.D., CFA
2017 is turning into a second banner year in a row for my “Ten Clean Energy Stocks” model portfolio. I expected at best to make high single digit returns after the impressive 20% (while my benchmark fell 4%). Instead, the portfolio produced a 36.8% total return while its benchmark is up 19.5% with only four trading days left in the year.
Such returns are obviously cause for celebration, and also for profit taking. I plan to replace at least five of this year's list with new stocks in the 2018 (tenth annual) “Clean Energy Stocks” model...
Ten Clean Energy Stocks For 2019: Will Pattern Merge With Terraform?
by Tom Konrad Ph.D., CFA
August 2019 saw economic warning signs flashing and a worsening trade war with China. Unsurprisingly, this led to weakness in most stock market indexes.
My broad income stock benchmark SDY was down 2.4% and the energy income stock benchmark YLCO fell 0.3% for the month. Most of the stocks in my 10 Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio continued to buck the trend, with the portfolio as a whole gaining 2.2% for the month. My real-money managed strategy, GGEIP, also turned in a solid 1.9% gain.
The strong performance of my portfolios probably rises from the falling interest...
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
With the market's rapid rebound from March lows and the Nasdaq Composite stock index closing higher than it was at the end of last year, many of us are probably asking ourselves:
Did I miss my chance to buy at the lows?
or:
Will I ever make up for my losses?
These questions point to dangerous emotions for stock market investors. Fear of missing out often leads to investment mistakes. This is why investment advisors always tell their clients that they are better off not looking at their portfolios in a downturn.
A big loss makes some people want to sell everything, for fear...
Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2020
by Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA
If it's tough to follow a winner, 2020 is going to be an especially tough year for my Ten Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio.
I've been publishing lists of ten clean energy stocks that I think will do well in the year to come since 2008. With a 46 percent total return, the 2019 list has had its best year since 2009, when it managed a 57 percent return by catching the rebound off the 2008 crash. This year's returns were also achieved in the context of full- to over-valuation of most of the clean energy...
Valeo February Update (Ten Clean Energy Stocks)
I'm trying something different and doing quick updates on individual stocks in my 10 Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio as I have time to write. The portfolio as a whole has been accelerating with the instant torque of an electric vehicle this year (details here.) I thought I'd start with the company that's newest to my readers,
Valeo SA (FR.PA, VLEEF)
12/31/18 Price: €25.21/$28.20. Annual Dividend: €1.25. Expected 2019 dividend: €1.25. 03/4/19 price: €29.13/$33.00. YTD gain: 15.5% Euro/ 12.8% USD.
I added this stock to the portfolio because it has great technology and and improving market share, but weak industry growth and overoptimistic management projections in 2018...
11 Clean Energy Stocks for 2012: July Update
Tom Konrad CFA June was a month of recovery for the stock market in general and clean energy stocks to a somewhat lesser extent. The Russell 2000 index (^RUT, which I use as a broad market benchmark in this series) was up 9% in June, while the Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF (PBW) gained 5.3%. So far for the year, ^RUT has produced a total return of 9.5%, while PBW shows a loss off 12.2%. My model portfolio introduced in January of 11 equally-weighted clean stocks lost ground yet continues to outperform the clean energy...
10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2021: Wrap Up
By Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA
The Ten Clean Energy Stocks for 2021 model portfolio had a decent year. With a 13.2% total return, it handily beat its clean energy income stock benchmark, the Global X Renewable Energy Producers ETF (RNRG, formerly YLCO), which fell 12.1%. It did not, however, compare as well to the wider universe of income stocks, which had an excellent year, with its benchmark SDY up 27.2%.
The poor performance of clean energy stocks in 2021 was largely due to the bursting of a clean energy bubble which formed in the second half of 2020 fueled by speculation...
