Portfolio

Tom Konrad CFA 2015 marks my seventh annual list of ten clean energy stocks.  An equal weighted portfolio of the ten stocks in each year's list has outperformed my industry benchmark every year except 2013.  2014 was no exception, but it was a bittersweet victory in that the model portfolio was slightly down while the benchmark lost considerably more in a very challenging year for clean energy stocks. I will publish a wrap-up article for the 2014 list in the next couple days, but I wanted to get the 2015 list out on New Year's day.  ...

Tom Konrad CFA Plummeting oil prices, global economic weakness, and the Republicans' win in the US midterms have delivered a triple-whammy to clean energy stocks over the last few months.  Many of the stock declines are justified more by headlines than fundamentals.  My 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio has suffered, especially the riskier growth stocks.  The strong dollar has been a further drag on the six foreign stocks. Since the last update at the start of October, the model portfolio is down 4.6%, for a loss since its December 27th,...

Tom Konrad CFA I included two "Clean Energy Speculations" along with my annual model portfolio of ten clean energy stocks this year.  It's been a tough year for clean energy stocks in general, with my industry benchmark (Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)) down about 15% since I initiated the portfolios on December 27th 2013.  Despite this, both the main portfolio and the speculations look likely to end the year with small gains.  The two speculations were Ram Power Corp (TSX:RPG, OTC:RAMPF) and Finavera Wind Energy (TSX-V:FVR, OTC:FNVRF). Both are clean energy project...

 October was a spooky month for clean energy stocks.  My benchmark Powershares Wilderhill Clean Energy Index (PBW) cringed down 2.9% like the young Supergirl who jumped when a mechanical ghost startled her at my door Haloween night.   My 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio was more like Supergirl's slightly older brother, who was dressed as a SWAT team member and insisted that he wasn't scared: It rose a slim 0.9% since the last update on October 3rd.  For the ten months since I launched the portfolio on December 26th, PBW...

Tom Konrad CFA Worries including the conflict with ISIL, Ebola, and economic slow-down in Europe, sent the stock market down in the month to October 3rd, with small cap stocks and clean energy stocks falling even farther than the large cap S&P 500.  My 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio weathered the storm relatively well because of its emphasis on defensive and income stocks.  Since the last update, the model portfolio was down 4.8%,...

Tom Konrad CFA Clean energy stocks and the market in general rebounded strongly in August.  My broad market benchmark of small cap stocks, IWM,  rose 4.5%, returning to positive territory up 1.7% for the year. My clean energy benchmark PBW also jumped back into the black with an 11.1% gain for the month and 10.8% for the year to date.  The less volatile defensive stocks in my 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio rose 1.9%.  For the year to...

Tom Konrad CFA July was a hard month for the stock market and clean energy stocks in particular.  My broad market benchmark of small cap stocks, IWM,  fell 7% and is down 2.7% for the year, while my clean energy benchmark PBW fell 9% and has slid into the red for the first time.  It is down 0.1% for the year to date.  The mostly defensive stocks in my 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio fared relatively well, but they were still...

Tom Konrad, CFA I recently published a quick guide to a green or fossil fuel free stock portfolio aimed at the small investor.  For most people, the best options will be to use mutual funds or an investment advisor.  Some of us like to do things ourselves, and build a portfolio from scratch, using individual stocks.  Doing so could rapidly become a full-time job, but it does not have to be.  Instead, you can use information which mutual funds disclose to piggy-back on their research.  Garvin Jabusch, Co-Founder and CIO of Green Alpha Advisors in...

Tom Konrad CFA After two weak months, June brought a strong recovery to clean energy stocks and the market in general.  The broad market benchmark IWM put on 7.2%, reversing its previous loss for the year to enter the 4th of July holiday up 4.7%.  My clean energy benchmark PBW shot up 8.6%, for year to date gains of 9.9%. Meanwhile my relatively conservative 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio rose 3.6%, retaining its lead on the broad market with a 7% gain so far this year, but falling...

Ten Clean Energy Stocks For 2014: June Update Tom Konrad CFA While the major market indexes were hitting new highs in May, small capitalization stocks and clean energy stocks (most of which are small cap) continued to lag.  The broad market benchmark IWM gained just 0.2% and is down 2.3% for the year, while my clean energy benchmark PBW fell 3.2% cutting its gains for the year to a slim 1.2%.  Meanwhile my 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio managed to eke out a 0.3% gain. ...

Tom Konrad CFA April showers fell on both the broad market and clean energy stocks last month, but my picks weathered the storm relatively well.  My clean energy benchmark (PBW) was down 5.9% since the last update, and my broad market benchmark (IWM) fell 1.7%.  Meanwhile 10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2014 model portfolio also fell 1.7%.  For the year so far, the clean energy benchmark is up 4.5%, having given back most of its large February gains, while the broad market is down 2.5%.  My model portfolio is up 2.2%, having...

Tom Konrad CFA For both the stock market and the weather, March was more lion than lamb.  My broad market benchmark fell 2.2% to end up 1.5% for the quarter.  Volatile clean energy stocks were down 4%, to end the quarter up 15.7%.  My annual Ten Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio is designed to avoid much of the sector's notorious volatility, and fell only 0.6%, ending the quarter with a 3.9% total return.  In dollar terms, the first six (income oriented) picks returned an average...

I check in with professional green money managers Shawn Kravetz, Garvin Jabush, Jan Schalkwijk, and Rafael Coven to see how their fourteen top picks for 2014 are doing.

Tom Konrad CFA After a rough January, the stock market recovered in February, while clean energy stocks partied like it was 2013.  My annual Ten Clean Energy Stocks model portfolio also had a good month, rising 6.0%, and is now up 4.7% for the year in dollar terms, and up % in local currency terms.  My broad market benchmark (the iShares Russell 2000 index) is up 7.5% for the period and 1.5% for the year.  Clean energy stocks soared higher, with the Powershares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (NYSE:PBW) up 16.3% for...

Monthly update on NYSE:HASI, TSX:PFB,TSX:CSE,TSX:PRI,Amsterdam:ACCEL,TSX:NFI,NASD:AMRC,NYSE:PW,TSX:AXY,TSX:RPG,TSX:FVR

Tom Konrad CFA   Over the last few weeks, I’ve brought you articles about the top Cleantech stock picks for 2014 from my panel of Cleantech money manager.  This article puts them all in one place.  Disclosure: I am long MIXT, ACCEL, SBS, and HASI. Originally, there were twelve picks.  Then, a mis-communication with Rafael Coven, Managing Director at the Cleantech Group, and manager of the index which underlies the Powershares Cleantech ETF (NYSE:PZD) had me listing two more stocks he likes.  Through a happy coincidence, that brings the total picks...