Can Alternative Energy Mutual Funds and ETFs Continue to Beat the Market?

By Harris Roen Alternative Energy Mutual Fund Returns Alternative energy mutual funds have proven to be an excellent investment over the past year or more, but those gains have flattened out as of late. MFs are up 33% on average with even the lowest returning fund, Gabelli SRI Green AAA ( SRIGX ), up 15% for the year. The alternative energy sector is by far beating the overall market. For comparison, as of April 21 the tech heavy NASDAQ was up around 27% for 12 months, the S&P 500 by 20%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average only 13% Alternative Energy ETF Returns Green ETFs are posting excellent gains overall for the past 12 months, up 51% on average. As with MFs, quarterly returns are relatively flat, with the exception of nice gains in First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG) and iPath Global Carbon ETN ( GRN ). An indication of how much the fortune of alternative energy ETFs have changed can be found by looking at long-term returns. Currently alternative energy ETFs are down 5.9% on average over a three-year time frame. Eight out of 14 funds, or a bit less than half, are trading down. Compare that with a year ago, when alternative energy ETFs were down 15.5% on average over a three-year time frame, with more than 70% of funds showing a loss. When looking at where annual returns were a year ago, about 40% of the alternative energy ETFs were down. On average the ETFs were flat for the year, as compared to the large one-year gains alternative energy ETFs are showing now… DISCLOSURE Individuals involved with the Roen Financial Report and Swiftwood Press LLC do not own or control shares of any companies mentioned in this article. It is also possible that individuals may own or control shares of one or more of the underlying securities contained in the Mutual Funds or Exchange Traded Funds mentioned in this article. Any advice and/or recommendations made in this article are of a general nature and are not to be considered specific investment advice. Individuals should seek advice from their investment professional before making any important financial decisions. See Terms of Use for more information. About the author Harris Roen is Editor of the “ ROEN FINANCIAL REPORT ” by Swiftwood Press LLC, 82 Church Street, Suite 303, Burlington, VT 05401. © Copyright 2010 Swiftwood Press LLC. All rights reserved; reprinting by permission only. For reprints please contact us at cservice@swiftwood.com. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Roen Financial Report, 82 Church Street, Suite 303, Burlington, VT 05401. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Burlington VT and additional Mailing offices. Remember to always consult with your investment professional before making important financial decisions.