Making green investing in green

Green investors are beginning to see green from their green investments. While the Dow is up 21% from its low in early March, cleantech indexes are up 30%. Green building stocks are up 11.6% in the past two weeks, exceeding the 7.9% increase registered by the S&P 500 and NASDAQ.

"People I work with are more optimistic than I've seen in years,” notes Sam Jones, portfolio manager of the New Power Portfolio. “The stimulus plan is a big piece of it."

The optimism professional investors show in a recent survey demonstrates that despite the financial crisis and economic recession, investment momentum is growing to bridge the financing gap - institutional investors provide crucial long-term global financing for industries that mitigate climate change. (Survey conducted by New Energy Finance and DB Climate Change Advisors, Deutsche Bank's climate change investment business).

According to Progressive Investor, a monthly newsletter that guides investors and analysts toward green investments published by SustainableBusiness.com, leaders in each Green Stock category include:
• Solar: First Solar (FSLR), SunPower (SPWR)
• Wind: Vestas (VWS.CO), Gamesa (GAM.MC)
• Geothermal: Ormat (ORA), WaterFurnace (WFI.TO)
• Smart Grid: IBM (IBM), Itron (ITRI), EnerNoc (ENOC)
• Energy Efficient Buildings: Owens Corning (OC), Baldor Electric (BEZ), ICF International (ICFI)
• Water: TetraTech (TTEK), Northwest Pipe (NWPX)

For more information, go to http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/progressiveinvestor.main