E•BOOM CAPITAL: EnergyBoom Biofuel Subindex Led the Markets This Week

The broad stock market indices all had lacklustre weeks, apparently bothered by ongoing worries about the Greek economy and a meeting of Euro-zone finance ministers scheduled for Monday. Nevertheless, the broader markets managed to outperform the clean energy and energy efficiency indices this week, with the biggest exception being the EnergyBoom Biofuel Subindex (E•B Biofuel) which ended the week up 2.48%.

E•B Biofuel’s leading performers were Amyris Inc. (NASDAQ: AMRS) (market cap $1.22 billion) +6.7% for the week (+2.4% year to date); and Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: GPRE) (market cap $418 million) +4% (+2%).

Strongest performer in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100)  was LED-lighting company Lighting Science Group Corporation (OTC BB: LSCG.OB) (marcap $718 million) +16% (+21%).

Weakest performers in the E•B Clean 100 were:

• Solar panel manufacturer Evergreen Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESLR) (market cap $37 millon) -18% (-51%). The company said Thursday in its Q1 2001 financial results that it was scrambling to acquire enough cash to avoid bankruptcy. On January 12, the Marlboro, Massachusetts-based company said it was closing its nearby Devens manufacturer plant and laying off 800 employees because it couldn’t compete with low-cost Chinese manufacturers.
• Lithium-ion battery technology company Ener1, Inc. (Public, NASDAQ: HEV) (market cap $249 million) -36% (-60%). The company reported this week that it increased Q1 2011 revenues but suffered major net losses largely attributed to the write-down of the company’s 48% investment in Think Holdings, AS, a Norwegian electric vehicle manufacturer.
• Power producer and developer Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (OTC BB: NGLPF.OB) (Market cap $24.6 million) -55% (-71%). The company said this week that a decline in power production of 2.5% per year at its 35-37 megawatt (net) Blue Mountain, Nevada, project put the company behind in its schedule to repay the $88 million balance of a loan with EIG Global Energy Partners.

EnergyBoom indices performance over the past five days:

• EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100) -1.3%
• EnergyBoom Wind Subindex (E•B Wind) -0.42% 
• EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) -2.52%
• EnergyBoom Biofuel Subindex (E•B Biofuel) +2.48%
• EnergyBoom Efficiency Subindex (E•B Efficiency) +1.59%

Broad market performance over the past five days:

• S&P 500 Index -0.34% 
• Dow Jones Industrial Average -0.18%
• NASDAQ Composite +0.03%
• FTSE 100 -0.85%
• DAX 30 Index -0.84% 
• CAC 40 Index -0.97%
• Shanghai Composite +0.28%
• Hang Seng Index -1.87%

Green exchanged-traded funds (ETFs) performance over the past five days:

• Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy ETF (GEX) -0.80%
• PowerShares Global Clean Energy Portfolio (PBD) -2.02%
• First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index (QCLN) +0.61%
• Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) -1.60%
• First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN) -1.59%
• NASDAQ OMX Clean Edge Global Wind (QWND) -2.10%
• Guggenheim S&P Global Water (CGW) -0.41%

DISCLOSURE: The writer has no positions in, or professional connections with, these companies.