Japanese Government Policy Sets Solar On Fire
As the years go on, more and more people are looking at alternative energy to be the wave of the future. While fossil fuels have long dominated the global energy space, the past few decades have seen major strides to bring other methods to the forefront. Solar energy has been among the most popular, as the industry has harnessed the sun’s power, utilizing photovoltaic modules that seem to get more efficient by the year. And now, the Japanese government is encouraging domestic businesses to ramp up their use of this renewable resource [for more solar news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
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].
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].
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].
Why The Solar ETF (KWT) Is Up 1,400% Today
No, you did not misread that headline. The Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (KWT) is in fact up a whopping 1,425% on the day. But the reason why is not quite as glamorous as solar investors were hoping. The fund underwent a reverse 1-for-15 stock split today as its share price has been plummeting for well over a year now. “The solar ETF was down 74% for the year ended June 28, according to Morningstar” writes Tom Lydon. The fund has just $9.4 million in assets and has been struggling alongside the solar industry in the past year. KWT had lost over 29% in 2012 though it was still able to maintain a decent dividend yield (which will likely change given the massive split) [see also 25 Ways To Invest In Alternative Energy].
China Solar Power: Sunny Days Ahead For Solar ETFs?
This article originally appeared on ETFdb.com. After a rough 2010, alternative energy equities have been swinging back and forth all year long without establishing a clear trend. With 2011 being quite a busy year thus far, the only real attention that alternative energies have received has been quite negative, as many have called for the end of nuclear power after the tragedy that struck Japan. But now that the fears of nuclear power have slowly calmed, investors have looked to their rational side putting away unrealistic notions regarding the nuclear industry, especially given the numerous and devastating oil spills that the world has seen in the past two decades in contrast. Although most forms of alternative energy have stayed on the backburner for the majority of the year, news from China will bring solar power investments back into the limelight [see also Three Alternative Energy ETFs To Watch As Japan Drama Plays … See the full story here
