Post-election “green” investing outlook
Tuesday saw the end of some market uncertainty with the defeat of California’s Prop 23. Enactment of this proposition would have been a real blow to alternative energy and alternative fuel companies in the U.S. Solar company shares, which gain most of the mainstream media attention, were hard hit during the past 1 ½ weeks but saw an across the board bounce today.
One of the few solar stocks not sharing in today’s gains was First Solar(FSLR), which saw a $13.00 one-day drop last Thursday and further loss on Friday. Most of these stocks will take a few weeks to regain their late October price levels, if not longer. With demand and production continuing to grow, many solar stocks seem destined for new 52-week highs before the end of the year.
Book review: “Plumbing” by Sunset Books
Every homeowner and every real estate investor should have at least a rudimentary level of plumbing. Such knowledge is useful during initial inspections(not to replace a professional inspection) prior to purchase and to be able to describe needed repairs to a licensed plumber after purchase. Many dollars can also be saved over the years by doing basic plumbing repairs and upgrades yourself instead of hiring a professional.
“Plumbing”, published by Sunset Books as part of their You Can Build series, is an excellent do-it-yourself book. It is written clearly and concisely by Esther Ferington and the editors of Sunset Books. All major topics are covered in depth along with illustrating color photos. This book is a good starting place for those with no knowledge of plumbing and also a good refresher for anyone that is out of practice.
The current state of the “green” stock market
The upcoming elections, recent earnings reports, continued economic unrest and Prop23 in California have not been kind to my “green” stock portfolio. The past two weeks have seen pullbacks in several sectors even though the DOW and NASDAQ continue to see very slight gains on most days. I do not see a Republican majority in congress and/or the Senate doing “green” share prices much good but am not yet convinced that will happen.
Solar shares have taken a big hit across the board. A few seemed to be shaking it off and recovering last week but have since stalled again. I am predicting at least three to four weeks to start approaching the October 15 levels again. A Republican majority and passage of Prop 23 could make that a much longer road.