A Green Energy Investing Guideline

by Louise Harris, Investment U Research

Typically, when investors think about making money from climate change, they think about buying shares of companies that specialize in biofuels or alternative or green energy.

But those aren’t the only ways to profit from the green movement.

Deutsche Bank Group (NYSE: DB) recently conducted in-depth research, analyzing climate change and the cost of combating it. And a few very interesting conclusions came from it…

More capital is required to mobilize climate change industries and more action by government is required to attract capital. When governments offer tax incentives and create integrated plans to combat climate change, investors are attracted. Carbon markets could offer long-term solutions to investors trying to find a niche in the climate change debate.

And there are countries out there doing just that.

The Greenest Countries

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ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) Has the Eye of the Tiger

Tony Daltorio, Investment U Research

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is one of those companies people love to hate.

The firm racks up billions in profits each year, yet it’s been sluggish to develop green technologies (although that’s slowly changing now), despite a $600 million investment into an algae-based biofuels project.

Some critics, including major shareholders, also criticize the company’s overly conservative management. They say that Exxon has a poor strategy for future growth and is too slow to replace its reserves.

With limited investment into finding new sources of oil and gas, ExxonMobil has instead spent $109 million to buy back shares and increase dividends by 58% over the past five years.

Last year alone, Exxon returned $40.1 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends, amounting to 154% of its capital

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Debunking The Paradox of Thrift: Why Consumer Spending Won’t Save Our Economy

by Mark Skousen, Contributing Editor

“America’s saving rate has leaped ahead – and it’s sending America to the poorhouse.” – David Fessler

An Investment U column attacking the virtue of thrift – surely not?

Yet there it was – an article from David Fessler on September 12, entitled, “The Paradox of Thrift: How a Better Savings Rate is Fueling the Recession.”

David Fessler is a friend and smart investment analyst, so I was surprised that he fell for one of the biggest myths in economics today – the so-called “paradox of thrift” that Keynesian economists spout all the time.

Here’s the problem with the theory, plus a few stocks that are front-and-center of the opposite argument…

The Keynesian Way

Let’s start with the facts, as David correctly noted. During the

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Smart Grid Investing: How Our Nation’s Future Energy Security Can Boost Your Portfolio Now

by Dave Fessler, Advisory Panelist

The “Smart Grid.”

You may have heard the media toss the term around recently. But ask the next 10 people you meet to tell you something… anything… about it, and I’ll wager that you’ll get deafening silence.

The reason? All of us take electricity – and the system that generates and distributes it – for granted. And despite having spent my entire professional life as an electrical engineer, I’m guilty as charged, too.

So what is the Smart Grid? How will it work? And why is it important to our nation’s future energy security? Read on for details, including two companies working to boost the nation’s power capacity that you can add to your portfolio today…

Why Our Current Systems Are Maxed Out…

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Hawaii: Pristine black sand beaches… surfing… spectacular volcanic eruptions… and miles of pineapple plantations. If you are like me, this is what comes to mind when you imagine Hawaii.

What may not come to mind, though, when you think of America’s 50th state are its energy resources – and specifically, the fact that it gets 77% of its power from oil-fired power plants. That’s a unique statistic within the United States. Coal-fired plants provide 14% of power, and the remaining 9% comes from renewable sources like wind and solar energy.

Suffice it to say, tourism is Hawaii’s largest industry, with agriculture playing a major role, too. And not unlike the rest of the country, the one thing needed to keep it all running smoothly is a reliable source of electricity.

Problem is, Hawaii is dependent on fossil fuels for more than 90% of its power – an issue that became shockingly clear when

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Praxair: This Company Has Gas…

Back in February in this column, I reviewed Praxair (NYSE: PX), one of the dominant players in the specialty gas sector.

You may recall that Praxair – a global, Fortune 300 company – is the largest industrial gases company in the Americas, and the world. With 27,000 employees in 30 countries, Praxair supplies its products to a wide array of customers around the globe.

It produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases. It’s also a manufacturer of high-performance surface coatings for metals. The company’s advanced manufacturing segment designs and manufactures cryogenic and non-cryogenic gas supply systems for various manufacturing processes.

Back in February, the company wasn’t laying off workers or closing factories. And two quarters later, the stock is up around 18% and business is steadily improving.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

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First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR): Stock of the Day

by David Fessler, Advisory Panelist

Competition – as I used to say to my sales force – has a way of keeping competitors honest. The real beneficiary of a healthy business duel, however, is the customer. Particularly when the competition gets down to price.

Nowhere is that more apparent right now than in the solar energy industry. Over the past few weeks, solar panel and module prices have been dropping through the floor. The reason can be summed up in just one word: China.

Executing a strategy not unlike the Japanese car companies did back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Chinese solar panel manufacturers are selling solar panels for less than it costs to make them.

Suntech Power Holdings (NYSE: STP) and Yingli Green Energy Holding Company, Ltd. (NYSE:YGE)

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When it comes to Oil and Gas MLP’s, Three is Better than One

by David Fessler, Advisory Panelist

Much has been written about the benefits of owning oil and gas Master Limited Partnerships, or MLP’s as they’re commonly referred to.

They trade just like stocks, but are structured as limited partnerships instead of as corporations. Buyers purchase “units” instead of “shares”. This is done primarily to avoid corporate taxation, and allows more of the MLP’s profits to be passed onto the unit holder.

Of course, there’s no free lunch when it comes to taxes, so the unit holder is ultimately responsible for the taxes on the profits – potentially a complicated task when April 15th rolls around.

Despite the extra work for you or your accountant, MLP’s are just too good to overlook, especially if you have an

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Flying home from our conference in Victoria, and looking out the window of the airplane taking me home, I begin to understand the vast opportunity we have by looking over the rooftops of homes and business parks alike.

The thought that jumps to mind is that solar power isn’t going to be “alternative energy” for much longer.

In spite of the current economic malaise and market downturn we’re navigating through, solar energy is one of the few bright spots (pun intended) in the alternative energy space.

The reason?

Continued advances in solar panel technology are resulting in cheaper, more efficient panels. Government subsidies at both the state and federal levels are making the installation of residential solar more compelling than ever.

Here’s why solar is looking brighter by the day, and a major retailer that could change everything.

The Solar Energy Industry’s Solar Cell Production

For the past few years, the solar power industry has

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Solar Energy: A Bright Spot In The Alternative Energy Sector

by David Fessler, Advisory Panelist

Flying home from our conference in Victoria, and looking out the window of the airplane taking me home, I begin to understand the vast opportunity we have by looking over the rooftops of homes and business parks alike.

The thought that jumps to mind is that solar power isn’t going to be “alternative energy” for much longer.

In spite of the current economic malaise and market downturn we’re navigating through, solar energy is one of the few bright spots (pun intended) in the alternative energy space.

The reason?

Continued advances in solar panel technology are resulting in cheaper, more efficient panels. Government subsidies at both the state and federal levels are making the installation of residential solar more compelling than ever.

Here’s why solar is looking brighter by the day, and a major retailer that could change

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