Contrarian Alert: First Solar (FSLR) Rising From The Grave

The bull train has hit a few bumps in recent trading sessions as a wave of European woes over the weekend has prompted some to take profit. Nonetheless, “buying on the dip” remains a dominant theme on Wall Street as bullish pressures continue to reign supreme on the equity front [for more market news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter]. With most equities either sitting at or headed towards new highs, many are faced with the tough decision of waiting to pull the sell trigger in an effort to maximize profit without getting burned by the impending correction. Luckily, the investable universe is wide and not every security has taken advantage of the bull run on Wall Street.  Green-energy bellwether First Solar (FSLR) presents an intriguing opportunity at the moment that warrants a closer look from contrarian investors looking to get a piece of the action on Wall Street.

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The Best And Worst Alternative Energy ETFs Of 2012

Alternative energy had another poor year, as these investments seem to fall by the wayside compared to fossil fuels. Though many agree that we need to shift our current energy consumption, it looks like new technologies are giving way to a natural gas revolution rather than an alternative energy revolution. Luckily for proponents of green technology, Barack Obama secured another four years in the White House, and he has been generally outspoken on his approval of these energy sources [for more alternative energy news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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Vote For Obama Or Romney With These Commodities

Tomorrow will mark the battle for what could be the 45th President of the United States. Barack Obama will square off against Mitt Romney with the goal of holding on to his presidency for another four years. This year’s campaigning and election path has been especially brutal, as politics have evolved into a mud-slinging contest that seems to know no boundaries. 

Posted in Actionable Ideas, Agriculture, Alternative Energy, Asset Allocation, Commodity Futures, Energy, Gold, Natural Gas, Precious Metals, Solar, WTI | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Top 50 Alternative Energy Blogs

Alternative energy has been a hot topic in recent years, as it has been heavily debated in both the political and investing world. Some feel that America’s energy independence relies on the expanded use of alternative sources, while others disagree with that sentiment. Either way, alternative energy investing has surged in popularity in recent years as many have added long term exposure to their portfolios in hopes of this asset class growing as a whole. But investing in green energy can be a tall order, as there are numerous companies that offer dozens of different clean energy solutions [for more alternative energy news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter]. 

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Alternative Energy, Asset Allocation, Biofuels, Commodity ETF Analysis, Hydro, Nuclear, Solar, Wind | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Which Solar Energy ETF Is Right For You? TAN vs. KWT

Although solar energy is not a traditional commodity, its presence in the financial world has grown over the years. Solar energy is simply the process of capturing energy emitted by the sun and converting it to a usable form of electricity or other power. Historically, this alternative source of energy has not accounted for any significant portion of the global energy market. Some experts, however, believe that there lies significant potential for the future of solar energy, which could have serious impacts on numerous commodities [for more solar energy news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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SolarCity IPO On The Horizon

Amid all of the talks and discussions on alternative energy by the Presidential candidates, one solar company has announced its plans for an IPO. Founded in 2006, SolarCity provides energy to both homeowners as well as businesses as it finances and installs photovoltaic for its customers. The firm also performs energy audits and builds charging stations for electric cars [for more solar energy news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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For Day Traders: The Most Liquid ETF for Every Commodity

The introduction of commodity ETFs brought trading to a whole new level, as your average retail investor now has the opportunity to trade something like natural gas futures through a single ticker. As the years have gone on, a number of these products have grown to be some of the most widely-used financial instruments for their respective commodity. One advantage to ETFs, however, is that liquidity is not hindered by average volume due the the creation process. Instead, there will just be some funds that are more liquid and tradable than others [for more commodity ETF news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Agriculture, Alternative Energy, Aluminum, Asset Allocation, Brent Oil, Cocoa, Coffee, Commodity ETF Analysis, Commodity ETFs, Copper, Corn, Cotton, Energy, Gasoline, Gold, Heating Oil, Industrial Metals, Lead, Livestock, Natural Gas, Nickel, Nuclear, Palladium, Platinum, Precious Metals, Silver, Solar, Soybeans, Sugar, Tin, Wheat, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

For Long Term Investors: The Cheapest ETF for Every Commodity

After gathering more than $1 trillion in total assets under management, ETFs have cemented their place in the financial world. Among the universe of nearly 1,500 products, commodity funds have garnered a lot of attention, as these products have democratized an asset class that was once difficult to reach by retail investors. Now, there are a number of exchange-traded options to help you gain exposure to your favorite hard assets, all at a low cost.

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Agriculture, Alternative Energy, Aluminum, Asset Allocation, Brent Oil, Cocoa, Coffee, Commodity ETF Analysis, Commodity ETFs, Commodity Futures, Copper, Corn, Cotton, Energy, Gasoline, Gold, Heating Oil, Industrial Metals, Lead, Livestock, Natural Gas, Nickel, Nuclear, Palladium, Platinum, Precious Metals, Silver, Solar, Soybeans, Steel, Sugar, Tin, Wheat, Wind, WTI | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Top 5 Solar Stocks by Market Cap

Solar investing has been a highly contended subject for many years now. Some feel that it is a strong allocation for a long-term portfolio as the growth in the alternative energy world offers some enticing opportunities. Others need only point to the historically abysmal returns of the majority of these securities to justify their reasoning for avoidance. For those who do feel that solar is a good long term play, or are at least interested in researching further into this energy source, we outline the five biggest solar companies by market cap [for more solar news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

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How a President Romney Could Destroy Alternative Energy Investing

For the next two months, all anyone will be talking about is who will win the November election and how that will impact our nation. From our economic standing to our energy policy, each presidential candidate offers a different plan for how they plan to move forward. One investing segment that is of particular interest is that of alternative energy as the Republican and Democratic parties have very opposing views and policies for green energy. The biggest question that alternative energy investors are asking is whether or not a Mitt Romney presidency will mean troubled times for this green sector [for more alternative energy news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].

Posted in Academic Research, Actionable Ideas, Alternative Energy, Asset Allocation, Commodity ETFs, Solar, Wind | Tagged , , | 9 Comments