A Minority Report on Happiness
Reading Michelle Haimoff ‘s articles about the apparent lack of connection between money and happiness has started me thinking. I’d like to add my comments on happiness to the mix.
The Roe vs. Wade of Alternative Energy
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emmisions. The ruling means the EPA must regulate automobile CO2 emissions unless that agency can show the science of global warming is too uncertain to justify action. Although few expect the ruling to lead to immediate…
A Utilitarian Approach to the Utilities Sector
With apologies to John Stuart Mill, the utilitarian approach could very well be the best approach for the utilities sector to approach their strategy. No pun intended, either…
College Savings Plans
Since I gave up sleep for Lent, I've had much more time to devote myself to more important things in life, like combing through the fine print of College Savings Plans.
SPWR – Good Companies are Not Always Good Investments
SunPower (SPWR – $46.40) has been on a medium uptrend since the September 2006 low of $26, and after strong gains in the last few sessions on the back of above average trading volumes, the share price is testing the all time high of $48. Bank of America (BAC), DeutscheBank (DB), Citigroup (C) and Thomas…
No Kyoto, No Problem?
Heavily criticized for not supporting the Kyoto Protocol, the Bush Administration has cited that adopting mandatory measures to fight climate change interferes with the economic growth of this country. While there is virtually conclusive evidence stating that the economic cost of not fighting climate change greatly outweighs the cost of doing so, events have taken…
SWV.DE – Limited Upside in the Absence of Operational Visibility
As we pointed out in a previous note on Solarworld, management could have used yesterday’s analyst day to provide greater operational visibility to investors. Instead, they lowered revenue guidance without providing production and price estimates. SolarWorld was the worst performer on the TecDax, dropping €2.70, or 4.50%, to €57.30.
Efficiency is the Name of the Game
While we have noted that solar power can be harnessed in many different applications, on-site generation in both residential and commercial settings is the fastest growing segment of photovoltaics (PV) in the US. At least this is true in California, where the majority of the nation's solar generation is currently being installed. This is due…
SWV.DE Analyst Day Could Breathe Some Life Into SolarWorlds Share Price
Photo: Svanes, Creative Commons, Flickr Germany's top solar company SolarWorld has been described as the Exxon Mobil of solar power, and it isn't cheap on a valuation basis. But short-term players might want to keep an eye on the stock after an analyst day on March 28.
The Best of “Working Mother’s” 100 Best Companies
Not all of Working Mother magazine's 100 Best Companies are truly woman- and family-friendly, as noted by Ann Friedman in the March 2007 issue of American Prospect. Here's a closer look at the companies that are the top of Working Mother's limited list.
Is There Any “Best Company” for Working Moms? (Part I)
Photo: Childish David , Creative Commons, FlickrAn excellent article by Ann Friedman in the March 2007 issue of American Prospect outlines the true lack of supportive work environments for working moms.
Only Eighteen Years Left to Save
So I am serious about starting a college savings plan for my son. He is three weeks old and I know it is early, but really I don’t think it is ever too early to start saving for such a goal.
WFR and FSLR – Two Solar Stocks that Will Soak Up the Sun During a (Possible) Recession
Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan recently rattled financial markets by saying there is a one-in-three chance of a recession this year. Greenspan might be considered an optimist. Several models created by research firms place the probability of a U.S. recession during the next year at 50%. The market is still jittery over the subprime sector,…
Where Will the Sun Shine the Brightest?
While it may be quite unnerving to think that it has taken this long for us to harness the power of the Earth's most abundant resource, the sun, it may be somewhat gratifying to see how far the solar industry has come so fast. Solar energy, also known as photovoltaics (or PV, for short) has become one of…
Sleeplessness and Awe
So here we go into a new dimension of Sleeplessness and Awe. My son was born February 23, after 18 hours of grueling labor. Or should I say after 39 weeks of gestation, and 18 hours of grueling labor. Anyway, he is here and we are amazed. I feel like I’ve just won the lottery.…
ESLR – Takeover Chatter Should be Taken With a Grain of Salt
Should we brace ourselves for a wave of consolidation in the solar sector? At the end of 2006 we saw SunPower (SPWR – Last trade $43.40), makers of the most efficient solar cell on the market, buy PowerLight, the world’s biggest manager of large-scale commercial solar projects. Some analysts expect more deals like this, where…
SOLF Earnings – Last Piece of Bad News Out of the Way, Time to Buy
As I pointed out in a previous note on Solarfun (SOLF – Last trade $12.78), it would have been wise to wait until the company's earnings results before jumping on board. The company's biggest market is Germany, and we have started seeing evidence of slowing solar demand in the country impact the earnings of other…
Ethanol: Down But Not Out (Part Two)
It is apparent that, when considering the growth in the ethanol industry as of late (there is currently twice as much manufacturing capacity under construction in the U.S. than is currently online), the industry could be heading for severe overcapacity. So why do these refineries continue to get built at such a rampant pace with…
The Most Overlooked Investment
While I cringe at categorizing child care (a.k.a. early childhood development programs) as a “women’s issue,” the rest of society seems to classify it as such. Yet evidence presented by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis indicates that investments in high quality child care and early education programs outperform anything that can be achieved in…
SOLF – Cheap Chinese Takeaway
As I pointed out in the note on Canadian Solar (CSIQ), U.S. listed photovoltaic (PV) companies based in China are experiencing a significant sell-off after the Shanghai Composite index tumbled 9% on February 27. I feel that the drop in China-based solar stocks has been exaggerated, creating some buying opportunities. The fate of China-based PV…
KKR, the Almighty Savior?
In a way, the same Wall Street leverage-buyout magnate that exceedingly overpaid for RJR Nabisco almost 20 years ago can be viewed as a savior with its even larger takeover bid for TXU Corporation (NYSE: TXU). Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) has teamed up with another private equity firm, Texas Pacific Group, to be…
CSIQ Bargain Hunting in the Chinese New Year
U.S. listed photovoltaic (PV) companies based in China are experiencing a significant sell-off after the Shanghai Composite index tumbled 9% on February 27. Many analysts believe that the (seemingly unjustified) drop in these shares has brought valuations back to attractive levels, creating a buying opportunity. They point out that the fate of China-based PV companies…
Will Q-Cells be the First Victim of a Solar Bubble?
Solid opportunities to invest in the solar boom exist, but many investors are starting to worry about the high valuation of stocks in the solar industry. Many feel that the worldwide silicon shortage is a major threat to solar's growth, but the silicon shortage is leading to a pickup in M&A activity in order to…
ENER: Time to Take a Bite out of the Bad Apple?
U.S. solar stocks have kicked off 2007 in grand style, averaging a 10% gain over the 6-week period, way ahead of the more diversified renewable ETFs (gaining 2.75%). Despite these strong gains, there are a few bad apples dragging down the performance of the group. If it were not for Distributed Energy Systems (DESC), DayStar…
Cellulosic Ethanol to the Rescue?
While the corn ethanol industry seems to have a limited lifespan, the sustainability of the biofuels sector can be maintained via a technology known as cellulosic ethanol. This type of fuel can be processed by means of sugar fermentation, where either pure cane sugar can be used directly, or a variety of feedstocks (switchgrass, rapeseed,…