Top Green Stock Picks for 2012

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.

Impact Investing Summit 2011

On Monday June 13, The Impact Investing Summit (iiSummit) aims to mobilize the power of private capital in the Midwest for social and financial return. hosted by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The first-ever summit will focus on the ways this growing industry bridges social and environmental impact with investment vehicles that are attractive to mainstream investors.

Impact investing is an emerging asset class that is gaining increased recognition from institutional investors, high net worth individuals, and private foundations. In this nascent industry, there is a range of options around financial returns, type and location of investment, and potential exits. The iiSummit will bring together national experts in this field—including members and advisors to private foundations; State Department and SBA representatives; and institutional, venture capital, and individual investors—to explore impact investment options for the Midwest.

This summit supports current efforts of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Global Partnership Initiative (GPI). In 2010, GPI began the “20ii - Investing for Impact” initiative to leverage the assets of corporations and investors to achieve social and environmental impact in underserved markets and help achieve the U.S. government’s foreign policy objectives.

At the iiSummit, institutional investors, high net worth individuals, private foundations, and USG representatives as well as a broad range of investment practitioners will examine the impact investing sector in a series of lectures and panel sessions. Topics for discussion include successful investment models, social innovation and policy, and social impact trends in the Midwest.

“The Midwest is generating novel for-profit ventures that are creating both social and financial returns but require growth capital,” said Linda Darragh, clinical professor and director of entrepreneurship programs for the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at Chicago Booth. “But we can no longer rely on philanthropy alone. Impact investments are the fuel needed to grow this new class of ventures that will better our society and environment.”

“The iiSummit aims to further this discussion by educating the investment community about how to harness private capital in the Midwest and direct these resources for social and financial return,” said Jamie Jones, associate director of the Social Enterprise at Kellogg (SEEK) program at the Kellogg School. “This is an ideal time to bring impact investing and new investment models to the forefront of the business community, especially here in Chicago.”

The events of the day will be capped off by three presentations from Midwest ventures that highlight the opportunity for impact investments.

Speakers:

-Kris Balderston, special representative for global partnerships, U.S. Department of State Global Partnership Initiative
-David Chen, managing partner, Equilibrium Capital Group
-Sasha Dichter, director of business development, Acumen Fund
-Sean Greene, associate administrator for investment and senior adviser for innovation at the U.S. Small Business Administration
-David Kirkpatrick, managing director and co-founder, SJF Ventures
-Wes Selke, investment manager, Good Capital & Hub Ventures
-Thomas Debass, U.S. Department of State Global Partnership Initiative
-Noel Kullavanijaya, Equilibrium Capital
-Tom Balderston, Investors' Circle and Patient Capital Collaborative
-Patrick Fisher, Creation Ventures
-Deborah Quazzo, NeXtAdvisors
-Karen Lehman, Fresh Taste Initiative
-Keith Crandell, ARCH Venture Partners and Clean Energy Trust

For more information click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index

The Dow Jones industrial average is the world's best known index and as of 1999 it has been home to the world's first sustainability index.

Dow Jones is the leading full-service index provider that develops, maintains and licenses indexes for use as benchmarks and as the basis of investment products. Dow Jones offers more than 130,000 equity indexes as well as fixed-income and alternative indexes.

In 1999, Dow Jones launched its Sustainability Index (DJSI). The first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones and SAM (Sustainability Asset Management) they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios.

Currently more than 70 DJSI licenses are held by asset managers in 19 countries to manage a variety of financial products including active and passive funds, certificates and segregated accounts. In total, these licensees presently manage over 8 billion USD based on the DJSI.

The DJSI measures companies’ sustainability initiatives. This family of indexes evaluates the performance of the world’s sustainability leaders. The DJSI focuses on how a company recognizes the risks and opportunities arising from sustainability issues in its business strategy. The DJSI Indexes are the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks worldwide and have become the key reference point in Sustainability Investing for investors and companies alike.

To be incorporated in the DJSI, companies are assessed and selected based on their long term economic, social and environmental asset management plans. Selection criteria evolve each year and companies must continue to make improvements to their long term SAM plans in order to remain on the Index.

Indexes are updated yearly and companies are monitored throughout the year. DJSI conducts a yearly review of the DJSI family and is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change mitigation, supply chain standards and labor practices. It accounts for general as well as industry specific sustainability criteria for each of the 57 sectors defined according to the Industry Classification Benchmark.

Here is a partial list of some of the companies included in the DJSI:

Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Adidas- United States
Hewlett Packard Co. – United States
BMW AG- Germany
Coca-Cola Co – United States
Christian Dior S.A.- France
Halliburton Co. – United States
Hyundai Engineering & construction Co. Ltd. – South Korea
Intel Corp. – United States
Mitsubishi Corp. – Japan
Nokia Corp. - Finland
Panasonic Corp. – Japan
Rolls- Royce Group PLC – United Kingdom
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd – South Korea
Siemens AG- Germany
Starbucks Corp. – United States
Toshiba Corp. – Japan
Unilever- United Kingdom
Volvo AB Series B- Sweden

Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index
3M Co. – United States
Allstate Corp. – United States
Bank of Montreal – Canada
Campbell Soup Co. – United States
Dell Inc. – United States
Ford Motor Co. – United States
Gap Inc. – United States
H & R Block Inc. – United States
Kinross Gold Corp. – Canada
Macy’s Inc. – United States
Microsoft Corp. – United States
National Bank of Canada – Canada
Proctor & Gamble Co. – United States

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Energy Efficient Lighting Stock Review and Future Prospects

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 Geothermal stock in 2009. To help investors see the value of energy efficiency, The Green Market has followed the progress of (smart) grid stocks, and on January 14, 2009, The Green Market added its portfolio of energy efficient lighting stocks. Here is a review of The Green Market's lighting stock for 2009.

In 2009, Cree Inc. (NASD: CREE) gained 250 percent, Philips (NYSE:PHG) gained 42 percent. Lighting Science Group, previously known as LSCG.OB has changed to LSCG.PK and from its inception on May 21, 2009 until years end, Lighting Science Group (LSCG.PK) gained 6 percent. Together, The Green Market's energy efficient lighting portfolio gained 99.53 percent in 2009.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG): Lighting is one of the company's 3 major divisions. Philips has established itself as a leader of LED technology with the development of an (LED) bulb said to produce as much light as a 60W incandescent bulb using less than 10W, and lasting 25 times as long.

Cree, Inc. (NASD: CREE): A leader in LED lighting including chips and components. Recently, the company's shares jumped more than 17 percent after a brilliant year end 2009 earnings report. Strong sales powered Cree to quarterly revenue of $199.5 million, up 35 percent year over year and the highest total recorded by the company for a single quarter. Cree's near term focus is on factory execution and capacity expansion. They have a strong balance sheet and are in a leadership position. Cree expects revenue of $215 million to $225 million in its fiscal third quarter, ending March 28, while the Thomson Reuters estimate calls for revenue of $189.2 million. In 2010 Cree will continue to better Wall Street's expectations.

Lighting Science Group: (LSCG.PK): In May of last year, LSCG.OB was changed to LSCG.PK because they failed to file their 2008 form 10-K. Lighting Science are designers, developers, manufacturers and marketers of LED lighting solutions. On January 6 of this year, they announced their new directors.

There are significant commercial and residential applications for more efficient lighting. In the US, sixty-watt lights account for 50% of the domestic incandescent market; replacing conventional light bulbs with LED could save electricity equivalent to the energy required to power 17.4 million households.

The widespread acceptance of LED lighting will be driven by the market (ie: the need to reduce costs and enhance productivity). As we transition to more efficient forms of lighting, energy efficient lighting companies are destined to grow.
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