Hexcel

It was a strong week for the broad stock markets and an even stronger week for clean tech sectors, capped off with a bonanza for shareholders of San Jose, California-based solar panel company SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWRA). SunPower and French oil multinational Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) announced late Thursday that Total was buying 60% of SunPower for approximately $1.4 billion at $23.25 per share -- lifting the stock to close today at $21.69 per share, 34.5% higher than Thursday’s close and up 36% for the week.

Stock markets rose today despite the Japanese earthquake, but they failed to overcome the mid-week worries about increasing gasoline prices damaging the fragile economic recovery. 

U.S. stock markets and all overseas markets finished the week in negative territory. Indices reflecting the clean and efficient energy sectors were also down, with solar companies faring the worst.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for “winning the future” by innovating world-beating clean energy technologies.

Here are three U.S. companies that are already winners by the President’s definition -- and are also enriching their shareholders: Polypore International, Inc. (NYSE: PPO) (market cap $2.41 billion) up 32.75 percent year to date, up 322 percent in 12 months; Hexcel Corporation (NYSE: HXL) (market cap $2 billion) up 13.8 percent year to date, up 89.4 percent in 12 months; Amtech Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASYS) ($239 million) up one percent year to date, up 187 percent in 12 months.

The overall clean tech sector declined dramatically during 2010 compared with strong positive performances for the U.S. overall stock market indices. Most European markets had shaky years and the Shangai Composite Index had the lowest performance among major markets tracked by EnergyBoom (2010 market data below).

However, the real story of 2010 was the spectacular gains of companies that bucked the down-trend for clean tech stocks. Here are the 2010 top 25 companies in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100):

EnergyBoom’s five clean sector stock market indices declined last week, with the overall EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index subindex falling 0.76 percent, compared with the S&P 500 Index (-0.82 percent), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.90 percent), and the NASDAQ Composite Index (+0.65 percent).