Stock Market

The world’s major stock markets and clean energy indices were mostly down this week as Americans headed into the Memorial Day long weekend. The only exception was the EnergyBoom Biofuel Subindex (E•B Biofuel) which increased 1% for the 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%.

The broad stock market monitors roared back during this four-day trading week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting its highest level (+1.23% to 12,506) since June 2008. Clean energy and energy efficiency companies turned in mixed performances, led by the EnergyBoom Efficiency Subindex (+1.34%) and Guggenheim S&P Global Water (+1.36%).

A small handful of companies in the clean/efficient energy sector bucked Monday’s stock market downer by making strong gains. Two of these companies, lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: AONE)) and wind turbine tower manufacturer Broadwind Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: BWEN), also halted months of sinking share prices. 

Despite terrific share price appreciation over Q1 2011 for many clean energy companies, as demonstrated in our Saturday list of the TOP 20 performing companies in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index, not all companies in the sector ended the quarter with happy shareholders.

Here are the 10 worst-performing companies on the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index January 3 through March 31:

Here are the TOP 20 performing companies on the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index during Q1 2011 (January 3 through March 31).

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami off Sendai, Japan -- and the resulting nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant -- transformed a strong performance for Q1 equities markets into a gangbusters performance. Renewable energy stocks -- especially wind and solar power companies -- were huge beneficiaries of investors betting that these sectors will fill the void created by a flight from nuclear. 

Stock markets dropped mid-week when the collapse of Libya’s oil exports prompted speculation about worldwide economic disruption, then made up some ground Friday when Saudi Arabia offered to increase oil production during the crisis. Nevertheless, the world’s stock exchanges and most green sectors finished in negative territory for the week.

The EnergyBoom Efficiency Subindex (E•B Efficiency) led all green sector subindices and ETFs and the broad stock market indices this week with an increase of 5.55 percent. Second-best subindex performer was EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) with a gain of 3.11 percent.

The week began strongly, paused on turmoil throughout the Middle East, and then finished higher with solid corporate earnings reports overcoming mediocre U.S. employment data. The green sector indices and ETFs narrowly beat the broad indices.