First published in Cleantech magazine, Issue 6 2011. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd.
Sharp declines for stocks in most cleantech sub-sectors
Some may consider that the performance of cleantech on stock markets during 2011 is best forgotten. The year has been a wipe -out for most cleantech investors, with the large solar and wind energy stocks having suffered severe losses virtually across the board. Renewable energy generators have tended to outperform the manufacturers of wind and solar equipment, but have also fallen sharply. Cleantech Investor has monitored the performance of a universe of 100 cleantech stocks – and some additions to that list in the form of the year’s (few and far between) IPOs. The performance of these 100 stocks is summarised below.
In the year that saw the high profile bankruptcy of venture capital-backed Solyndra and a host of other prominent solar industry failures in the US, it’s not surprising that solar sector stocks feature prominently amongst the worst performers of the year. The table below lists the 20 most severe underperformers out of the 100 stocks monitored by Cleantech Investor. It’s perhaps no surprise that the worst three performers are all in the solar sector or that eight of the bottom ranking 20 stocks are solar sector stocks.
Quoted Cleantech Bottom 20 (Underperformers 2011)
Company | Share Price 31 Dec 2010 | Share Price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Sector |
Evergreen Solar | 3.5 | 0.03 | US$ | -99.1 | Solar |
China Sunergy | 4.18 | 0.062 | US$ | -98.5 | Solar |
Solar Millennium | 20.01 | 1.685 | € | -91.6 | Solar |
CleanTech Innovations | 7.5 | 0.66 | US$ | -91.2 | Wind |
IdaTech | 0.67 | 0.065 | € | -90.3 | Fuel cells |
ACTA | 57.75 | 5.75 | £ | -90 | Fuel cells |
SemiLEDs | 29.05 | 3.03 | US$ | -89.6 | LEDs |
PV Crystalox | 50.27 | 5.4 | £ | -89.3 | Solar |
Ceres Power | 72 | 7.85 | £ | -89.1 | Fuel cells |
Phoenix Solar | 23.21 | 2.791 | € | -88 | Solar |
American Superconductor | 28.59 | 4.07 | US$ | -85.8 | Superconductors |
China Ming Yang | 11.5 | 2 | US$ | -82.6 | Wind |
Daqo New Energy Corp | 10.16 | 1.88 | US$ | -81.5 | Solar |
REC | 17.79 | 3.31 | NOK | -81.4 | Solar |
Enova Systems Inc. | 1.28 | 0.24 | US$ | -81.3 | EVs |
ReneSola | 8.74 | 1.72 | US$ | -80.3 | Solar |
A123Systems | 9.54 | 2.11 | US$ | -77.9 | EVs |
Canadian Solar | 12.39 | 2.75 | US$ | -77.8 | Solar |
Azure Dynamics | 0.31 | 0.075 | CAN$ | -75.8 | EVs |
Trony Solar | 5.47 | 1.33 | HK$ | -75.7 | Solar |
The list of top 20 outperformers includes a couple of solar stocks – but typically these are companies active in niches within the solar industry, rather than mainstream players. One solar stock which even managed to achieve a gain on the year (up 26% as at 12 December) was Germany’s Roth & Rau, which is a supplier of systems and equipment to the solar industry. However, Roth & Rau was the only solar stock in the entire list to record a gain on the year to date. Barring a dramatic rally in the cleantech sector in the closing weeks of 2011 – which looks unlikely (even despite the last minute agreement reached on climate change at Durban) – the solar sector looks set to close the year with the worst performance on record. The following table lists quoted solar stocks and their performances during 2011. In some cases we’ve used US listings of stocks which are also listed elsewhere, notably some Chinese companies, to facilitate comparisons. However, in most instances there has been no adjustment for currency movements (stock price performance is shown in the currency in which the stock is listed). The average performance of the 26 solar stocks in our universe over the period was a decline of 64% (based on a simple average, unweighted for market values or currencies). Excluding star performer Roth & Rou, with its trend-bucking rise in share price, the average decline of the 25 stocks which fell in price was 67% – a depressing figure by any measure! Certainly far from a bright year for solar.
Solar Sector: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
Evergreen Solar | 0.03 | US$ | -99.1 | Suntech Power Holdings | 2.72 | US$ | -66 |
China Sunergy | 0.062 | US$ | -98.5 | Trina Solar | 7.96 | US$ | -66 |
Solar Millennium | 1.685 | € | -91.6 | First Solar | 45.67 | US$ | -64.9 |
PV Crystalox | 5.4 | £ | -89.3 | Centrotherm Photovoltaic | 10.01 | € | -61.6 |
Phoenix Solar | 2.791 | € | -88 | Manz | 20.605 | € | -59.1 |
Daqo New Energy | 1.88 | US$ | -81.5 | LDK Solar | 4.45 | US$ | -56 |
REC | 3.31 | NOK | -81.4 | Risen Energy Co.Ltd | 13.3 | CHY | -55.9 |
ReneSola | 1.72 | US$ | -80.3 | Yingli Green Energy | 4.45 | US$ | -55 |
Canadian Solar | 2.75 | US$ | -77.8 | CNPV Solar Power SA | 7.1 | € | -44.7 |
Trony Solar | 1.33 | HK$ | -75.7 | SMA Solar Technology | 38.43 | € | -42.3 |
Q-Cells | 0.672 | € | -73.2 | PowerFilm Inc | 19 | £ | -20.8 |
Jinko Solar | 5.7 | US$ | -71.7 | Solaria Energia | 1.26 | € | -11.9 |
Woongjin Energy | 5360 | KRW | -71.5 | Roth & Rau | 15.535 | € | 26.4 |
The best performing stock in our universe was the UK’s Dialight, which gained 42.7% over the period. Dialight’s strong performance (a gain of 43% in its shares), is in sharp contrast to the 90% fall in the shares of US-quoted SemiLEDs, the leading Taiwanese supplier of LED components. Dialight’s strategy has been to focus on niche markets in industrial lighting, and the company is seeing soaring growth for solid state LED lighting solutions. It’s perhaps interesting to note that – in a very different cleantech asset class – the Cleantech Connect Judge’s Award for the best company of 2011 went to Irish LED company Nualight. Like Dialight, Nualight is focused on niche markets within the LED sector – in the case of Nualight, the niches are retail applications for LEDs. Back on the public markets, however, even giants such as Cree suffered a poor performance during the year, with its shares losing 64%.
Ranking as the second best performer, after Dialight, in the list of 100 cleantech stocks was Renova, the Brazilian renewables generator. Renova, which operates both hydro and wind energy plants, was one of the major winners in the Brazilian wind energy auctions which took place in August 2011 – and which saw wind energy prices fall below the prices for natural gas projects. Renova benefited during the year from the acquisition of a majority stake by Light, an electricity company which is in turn owned by major Brazilian energy utility, Cemig.
The entry of Light/Cemig clearly helped support the Renova share price during the year. However, many companies active in the generation of electricity from renewable energy also ranked amongst the strongest performers during 2011. The defensive qualities of utilities in a tough market clearly apply in the cleantech sector as much as elsewhere – despite the backtracking by governments on feed-in tariffs (FiTs) which dominated much of the news during the year in the sector, especially in Europe. In this context, it is perhaps interesting to note that a number of renewables generators were acquired during the year. AIM-listed niche Indian renewables developer, Indian Energy Limited, was acquired by Infrastructure India plc in September. And both Iberdrola and EDF decided to buy back the shares in their respective renewables businesses. EDF announced the acquisition of EDF Energies Nouvelles through a public offer in the first half of the year, and in July Iberdrola Renouvables merged with its parent company, Iberdrola.
Renewable Energy Generators: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
Renova | 28 | R$ | 34.9 | 4Energy Invest | 1.24 | € | -31.1 |
PNE Wind | 1.608 | € | 7.9 | China Suntien Green Energy | 1.5 | HK$ | -31.5 |
SeaEnergy plc | 25.125 | £ | 6.9 | China Datang Corp | 1.44 | HK$ | -32.4 |
Aérowatt | 12.01 | € | 4.3 | Suez Environnement | 9.09 | € | -38.5 |
EDP Renovaveis | 4.355 | € | 0.3 | Helius Energy | 12.625 | € | -44.5 |
Mytrah Energy | 110 | £ | -1.8 | Falck Renewables | 0.823 | € | -50.4 |
Alkane Energy | 17.75 | £ | -11.3 | Veolia Environnement | 8.79 | € | -57.5 |
Wasabi | 1.925 | £ | -16.3 | Orient Green Power Co. Ltd | 10.3 | INR | -65.9 |
Theolia | 0.91 | € | -22.2 |
The water sector saw a mixed performance – with some stocks benefiting from the ‘defensive’ qualities which helped support the renewables energy generation sector, but others suffering from the generally difficult market conditions.
Water: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
Amiad Water Systems | 200 | £ | 5.5 | Watermark Global | 0.22 | £ | -21.4 |
H2O Innovation | 0.2 | € | -9.1 | VA Tech Wabag | 346.45 | INR | -45 |
Chongqing Water Group | 6.74 | CHY | -16.7 | HaloSource | 75 | £ | -56.5 |
Modern Water | 51.5 | £ | -18.3 | Beijing Water Business Doctor | 26.8 | CHY | -60.3 |
Beijing Originwater | 44.66 | CHY | -21.1 |
Notable outperformers – with significant price rises over the year to date – have been stocks, including Tesla Motors, in the electric vehicles sector (up 17%), and Novozymes, which makes enzymes for next generation bioethanol (up 22%).
Quoted Cleantech Top 20 (Outperformers 2011)
Company | Price 31 Dec 2010 | Price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Sector |
Dialight plc | 507.99 | 725 | £ | 42.7 | LEDs |
Renova | 20.75 | 28 | R$ | 34.9 | Renewables generation |
Roth & Rau | 12.29 | 15.535 | € | 26.4 | Solar |
Novozymes | 138.71 | 169.7 | US$ | 22.3 | Bioenergy |
Tesla Motors | 26.63 | 31.04 | US$ | 16.6 | EVs |
PNE Wind | 1.49 | 1.608 | € | 7.9 | Renewables generation |
SeaEnergy plc | 23.5 | 25.125 | £ | 6.9 | Renewables generation |
Amiad Water Systems | 189.62 | 200 | £ | 5.5 | Water |
Aérowatt | 11.52 | 12.01 | € | 4.3 | Wind |
COSAN | 27.04 | 27.82 | R$ | 2.9 | Bioenergy |
EDP Renovaveis | 4.34 | 4.355 | € | 0.3 | Renewable generation |
Mytrah Energy | 112 | 110 | £ | -1.8 | Renewables generation |
Plant Impact | 21.5 | 21 | £ | -2.3 | Agriculture |
Johnson Matthey | 2004 | 1876 | £ | -6.4 | Catalysts |
H2O Innovation | 0.22 | 0.2 | € | -9.1 | Water |
Alkane Energy | 20 | 17.75 | £ | -11.3 | Renewables generation |
Solaria Energia | 1.43 | 1.26 | € | -11.9 | Solar |
ITM Power | 50.5 | 42.5 | £ | -15.8 | Fuel cells |
Tyratech | 31.5 | 26.5 | £ | -15.9 | Agriculture |
Wasabi | 2.3 | 1.925 | £ | -16.3 | Renewables generation |
Tesla’s strong performance was an exception amongst the EV and battery stocks, however. Ener1, suffering from its investment in Finnish EV manufacturer, Think, which was forced into bankruptcy during the year, was delisted from NASDAQ in October. A123 Systems, which arrived on NASDAQ through a 2009 IPO, saw its share price fall by 78% during 2011. And China’s BYD Company experienced a 56% fall in its share price.
EVs/Batteries: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
Enova Systems Inc | 0.24 | US$ | -81.3 | BYD Company Limited | 17.76 | HK$ | -56.5 |
A123Systems | 2.11 | US$ | -77.9 | Saft Groupe SA | 21.95 | € | -18 |
Azure Dynamics | 0.075 | CAN$ | -75.8 | Tesla Motors | 31.04 | US$ | 16.6 |
We’ve created a list, ranked by performance, of a selection of wind equipment manufacturing stocks in the following table. Generally, the wind equipment suppliers have outperformed their counterparts in the solar sector. However, share prices have still suffered from concerns about competition and overcapacity in the industry. A notable feature of the wind sector performances is that the established European manufacturers have tended to outperform the new Chinese entrants into the industry. The share prices of industrial giants GE, Siemens and Alcatel have been included at the end of this list for comparison purposes, but since these companies have extensive other businesses they are not included in the list of 100 quoted cleantech stocks.
Wind Equipment Manufacturing: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
Nordex | 3.927 | € | -28.7 | Xinjiang Goldwind | 4.32 | HK$ | -72.3 |
Gamesa Corp Tecnologica | 3.32 | € | -41.9 | China Ming Yang | 2 | US$ | -82.6 |
Sinovel Wind Group* | 20.44 | CNY | -48.9 | CleanTech Innovations | 0.66 | US$ | -91.2 |
Suzlon | 22.4 | INR | -59 | GE | 16.84 | US$ | -5.7 |
Vestas Wind Systems | 67.35 | DKK | -61.8 | Siemens | 74.77 | € | -16.9 |
| *Share price performance since IPO | Alcatel | 24.55 | € | -28 | |||
The performance of hydrogen and fuel cell stocks diverged significantly during 2011. Although all the stocks included in our universe in this sector saw falls in their share prices, the shares of companies such as ITM Power (the best performer, losing 16%) and Ballard Power Systems (down 20%) outperformed the worst by a large margin. Worst performers were AIM-listed IdaTech, Acta and Ceres Power, all of which suffered falls of around 90% in their stocks.
Hydrogen & Fuel Cell: 2011 Stock Performances
Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 | Company | Share price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg year to 12 Dec 2011 |
ITM Power | 42.5 | £ | -15.8 | FuelCell Energy Inc. | 0.95 | US$ | -58.9 |
Ballard Power Systems | 1.2 | US$ | -20 | Ceres Power | 7.85 | £ | -89.1 |
Ceramic Fuel Cells | 7.125 | £ | -31.9 | ACTA | 5.75 | £ | -90 |
Plug Power | 2.25 | US$ | -39.4 | IdaTech | 0.065 | £ | -90.3 |
AFC Energy | 31.25 | £ | -43.2 |
The bioenergy sector was a rare bright spot during 2011, accounting for most of the important IPOs which managed to go ahead amid the tough conditions in the cleantech sector. Three significant bioenergy IPOs are listed in the following table.
Bioenergy IPOs, 2011: Stock Performances since Listing
Company | Code | Share Price at issue date | Share Price 12 Dec 2011 | Currency | % chg, date of listing to 12 Dec 2011 |
Solazyme Inc. | SZYM:US | 18 | 11.95 | US$ | -33.6 |
KiOR Inc. | KIOR:US | 15 | 12.79 | US$ | -14.7 |
Gevo Inc. | GEVO:US | 16.4 | 6.37 | US$ | -61.3 |
One bioenergy stock, AIM-listed GTL Resources, was also the subject of a takeover bid. Elsewhere, companies disappearing due to acquisitions included Hansen Transmissions.
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