Do you remember? Do you remember where you were when the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) hit 13,259 for the first time in recorded history? If you don't, it's perfectly OK. Don't give yourself too much grief. It's hardly criminal. It's just that, well -- 13,259 is a prime number. That's all. Thought you might have remembered how quirky that was.
Sure, it's nice for one of the world's most commonly quoted measures of corporate success to be above a new "psychological barrier," a euphemism that, in this context, means: "You can remember the number 17,000, can't you? Pretty big, ain't it? Jeez -- what an economy! Where will it go next?"
Before Thursday's holiday-shortened session was over, it would advance 92 points, or 0.5%, to end at 17,068, whizzing past the prime number 17,053 in the process. Remember where you heard it first.
Shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS ) helped the Dow reach its record-setting close on Thursday, in a show of brute force that saw the benchmark index clear a dozen previously unsurpassed prime numbers -- prime numbers correlating to the Dow's 30-component, price-weighted average -- by the day's end. Despite Disney's presence in the index, the Dow's new record isn't nearly as magical as we like to think it is. The Dow has the ability to add or drop stocks from its elite circle, which can misrepresent the state of the economy when poorly performing stocks are replaced with shares of more robust companies, for instance. This has happened literally dozens of times since its debut in 1896 as a 12-stock average, the first occurring a mere three months after its inception, and the most recent change occurring less than a year ago.
Top 10 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Ameresco Inc (AMRC)
Ameresco, Inc. incorporated in April 2000, is a provider of energy efficiency solutions for facilities throughout North America. The Company�� services include upgrades to a facility's energy infrastructure and the construction and operation of small-scale renewable energy plants. Its principal service is the development, design, engineering and installation of projects that reduce the energy and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs of its customers' facilities. These projects include a variety of measures customized for the facility and designed to improve the efficiency of major building systems, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems. It also serves certain customers by developing and building small-scale renewable energy plants located at or close to a customer's site. Ameresco, Inc. provides its services primarily to governmental, educational, utility, healthcare and other institutional, commercial and industrial entities. The Company operates in four segments: U.S. federal, central U.S. region, other U.S. regions and Canada. In August 2011, the Company acquired APS Energy Services Company, Inc. from Pinnacle West Capital Corporation. In December 2011, it acquired the xChange Point and energy projects businesses, including automated demand response, of Energy and Power Solutions, Inc. In August 2012, the Company acquired FAME Facility Software Solutions Inc. In February 2013, it purchased all of the assets of Ennovate Corporation. In June 2013, Ameresco Inc acquired ESP, an energy management consulting company consisting of the Energy Services Partnership and ESP Response, located in Castleford, United Kingdom.
Ameresco, Inc. offers a set of services that includes the design and installation of upgrades to a facility�� energy infrastructure, the design and construction of renewable energy plants, the sale of other renewable energy products and the arranging of financing for customer projects. In September 2010, the Company acquired Quantum Engineer! ing and Development, Inc. In July 2011, the Company acquired Applied Energy Group.
Energy Efficiency Services
The Company�� services includes the design, engineering and installation of, and the arranging of financing for, equipment to improve the efficiency, and control the operation, of a building�� heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting systems. In certain projects, it also designs and constructs a central plant or cogeneration system providing power, heat and/or cooling to a building. Its projects generally range in size and scope from a one-month project to design and retrofit a lighting system to a more complex 30-month project to design and install a central plant or cogeneration system.
Renewable Energy Projects and Products
The Company�� services offering includes the development, construction and operation of, and the arrangement of financing for, small-scale renewable energy plants, as well as the sale and integration of solar energy products and systems. It has constructed and is designing and constructing a range of renewable energy plants using landfill gas (LFG), wastewater treatment biogas, solar, wind, biomass, food waste, animal waste and hydro sources of energy. As part of its renewable energy offering, it also distributes and integrates solar energy products manufactured by several vendors. Ameresco, Inc. is a distributor of photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar regulators, solar charge controllers, inverters, solar powered lighting systems, solar powered water pumps, solar panel mounting hardware and other system components. It also integrates its PV products and system components into solar solutions designed specifically for customers. It provides solar energy solutions for both on- grid applications where the solar power is used in a building connected to a utility distribution system, and for off-grid applications where the power is used directly in the device using the electricity, such as traffic signs.
Amere! sco, Inc.! also designs and constructs renewable energy plants based on wind power. In many parts of the country, available wind resources, utility net metering and local incentives can make on-site wind generation a viable solution for meeting a portion of customers' energy needs. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had completed two projects that included a wind turbine. In addition, it has constructed and was constructing, small-scale renewable energy plants based on biomass.
As of December 31, 2010, Ameresco, Inc. had constructed more than 28 renewable energy projects, and owned and operated 22 small-scale renewable energy plants. Of the owned plants, 19 are renewable LFG plants, two are waste water biogas plants and one is a solar PV installation. These 22 small-scale renewable energy plants have the capacity to generate electricity or deliver LFG producing an aggregate of 106 megawatts (MW) or megawatt-equivalents (MWE). As of December 31, 2010, the Company had signed contracts for the construction, operation and ownership of an additional six LFG plants, two biomass power and cogeneration plants and five biomass boiler projects.
The Company competes with Chevron Energy Solutions, Constellation Energy, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Siemens Building Technologies and TAC Energy Solutions.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, energy efficiency technologist Ameresco (NYSE: AMRC ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
- [By Sara Murphy]
Ameresco (NYSE: AMRC ) is one of the few large, independent energy efficiency service providers. The company's principal service is the development, design, engineering and installation of projects that reduce the energy and operations and maintenance costs of its customers' facilities. Ameresco has seen declining revenues recently because of unusually long lag times in getting its projects funded, but this seems a temporary setback.
Top 5 New Stocks For 2014: Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc (AVRW)
Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings, Inc. (Aventine) is engaged in marketing and distributing ethanol to energy and trading companies in the United States. In addition to producing ethanol, the Company�� facilities also produce several by-products, such as distillers grain, corn gluten meal and feed, corn germ and grain distillers dried yeast. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� facilities had a combined total ethanol production capacity of approximately 312 million gallons annually with corn processing capacity of approximately 115 million bushels.
The Company�� principal product is fuel-grade ethanol, an alcohol,l which is derived in the United States principally from corn. Ethanol is sold primarily for blending with gasoline to meet mandates for the required consumption and use of biofuels, as an octane enhancer, as an oxygenate additive for the purpose of meeting fuel emission standards and as a fuel extender.
The Company is also engaged in the sale of by-products, both co-products and bio-products, which result from the ethanol production process. The volume of by-products it produces varies with the level of the Company�� equity production. Scheduled maintenance, along with other non-scheduled operational difficulties, affects the volume of by-products produced. The Company also shift the mix of these by-products.
The Company�� Illinois wet mill facility produces co-products, such as corn gluten feed (both wet and dry), corn gluten meal, corn distillers with soluble (CCDS) and corn germ. In addition, the fermentation process yields carbon dioxide. The Company�� dry mill facilities in Pekin, Illinois, Mt. Vernon, Indiana and Aurora, Nebraska produce co-products, such as DDGS, wet distillers grains with soluble and carbon dioxide. These co-products are sold for various consumer uses into commodity markets. Corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal, CCDS and distillers grains are used as animal feed ingredients, corn germ is sold for t! he extraction of corn oil for human consumption, and carbon dioxide is sold for food-grade use, such as beverage carbonation and dry ice. Along with co-products, its Illinois wet mill facility also produces bio-products, Kosher and Chametz freegrain distillers dried yeast, which is processed into a growing variety of products for use in animal and human food and fermentation applications.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Johanna Bennett]
Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) rose almost 6% after it agreed to buy Aventine Renewable Energy (AVRW) Holdings Inc. for about $190 million in stock. Aventine jumped 11.5% on the news.
Top 5 New Stocks For 2014: Peat Resources Ltd (PET)
Peat Resources Limited is a Canada-based, development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the exploration and development of peat properties in Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland) and Ontario. During the fiscal year ended May 31, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenue from its operations. Advisors' Opinion:- [By TaniaC]
The Coca-Cola Company (KO) and its bottling partners in Mexico announced a joint, six-year investment of $8.2 billion at a ceremony commemorating the world's largest food-grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle-to-bottle recycling plant. Coca-Cola began operations in Mexico 88 years ago.
Top 5 New Stocks For 2014: SolarCity Corp (SCTY)
SolarCity Corporation (SolarCity), incorporated on June 21, 2006, is engaged in the design, installation and sale or lease of solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers, or sale of electricity generated by solar energy systems to customers. The Company sells renewable energy to its customers. As of December 12, 2012, the Company served customers in 14 states. The Company�� residential customers are individual homeowners and homeowners. The Company�� commercial customers represent several business sectors, including technology, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, nonprofit and houses of worship. The Company has installed solar energy systems for several government entities, including the the United States Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy, and the Department of Homeland Security. The Company purchases major components, such as solar panels and inverters directly from multiple manufacturers. As of September 30, 2012, its primary solar panel suppliers were Trina Solar Limited, Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited and Kyocera Solar, Inc., among others, and its primary inverter suppliers were Power-One, Inc., SMA Solar Technology, AG, Schneider Electric SA, Fronius International GmbH and SolarEdge Technologies, among others.
Solar Energy Products
The Company�� solar energy products include Solar Energy Systems, and SolarLease and power purchase agreement finance products. The major components of its solar energy systems include solar panels that convert sunlight into electrical current. Most of its solar energy customers choose to purchase energy from the Company pursuant to one of two payment structures: a SolarLease or a power purchase agreement. In both structures, the Company charges customers a monthly fee for the power produced by its solar energy systems. In the lease structure, this monthly payment is pre-determined and includes a production guarantee. In the power purchase agreement structure, the Company charges customers a fee per kilowatt! hour based on the amount of electricity actually produced by the solar energy system.
Energy Efficiency Products and Services
The Company�� energy efficiency products and services include home energy evaluation and energy efficiency upgrades. The Company sells home energy efficiency evaluations to new solar energy system customers and existing customers. The Company�� energy efficiency upgrade products and services address heating and cooling, air sealing, duct sealing, water heating, insulation, furnaces, weatherization, pool pumps and lighting. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had completed over 13,000 home energy evaluations and performed more than 2,000 energy efficiency upgrades.
Other Energy Products and Services
The Company�� other energy products and services include electric vehicle charging and energy storage. The Company installs electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment that it sources from third parties. SolarCity markets EV equipment to residential and commercial customers through retail partnerships with companies, such as The Home Depot, and through EV manufacturers and dealerships, such as its partnership with Tesla Motors, Inc. The Company is developing a battery management system built on its solar energy monitoring communications backbone. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had over 100 energy storage pilot projects under contract. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had sold over 750 charging stations.
Enabling Technologies
The Company�� enabling technologies include SolarBid Sales Management Platform, SolarWorks Customer Management Software, Energy Designer, Home Performance Pro and SolarGuard and PowerGuide Proactive Monitoring Solutions. SolarBid is a sales management platform, which incorporates a database of rate information by utility, sun exposure, roof orientation and a range of other factors to enable a detailed analysis and customized graphical presentation of each customer� �s savin! gs.
SolarWorks is the software platform the Company uses to track and manage project. Energy Designer is a software application its field engineering auditors use to collect pertinent site-specific design details on a tablet computer. Home Performance Pro is its energy efficiency evaluation platform that incorporates the United States Department of Energy�� Energy Plus simulation engine. Home Performance Pro collects and stores details of a building�� construction and energy use. SolarGuard and PowerGuide provide its customers a view of their home�� or business�� energy generation and consumption.
The Company competes with American Solar Electric, Inc., Astrum Solar, Inc., Petersen Dean, Inc., Real Goods Solar, Inc., REC Solar, Inc., Sungevity, Inc., Trinity Solar, Inc., Verengo, Inc., SunRun Inc. and Ameresco, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alyce Lomax]
SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY ) has been one of the most successful IPOs of the year. Maybe it's an overvalued and risky stock -- high-flying IPOs can be recipes for disaster -- but one thing's for sure: There are reasons that investors are excited about its growth potential. Solar installations are its core business, and the signals are bullish. Last year, California alone booked a 26% increase in solar installations. Overall, solar installations in this year's first quarter increased by 33% -- not surprisingly led by California -- with increasing growth attributed to residential and business adoption.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) saw its shares surge on Friday after the company offered guidance for 2013 and 2014. The move was so big that it was fighting for the pole position of the market’s top performers. It is also a move that may simply be too exaggerated.
No comments:
Post a Comment