Charlie Biggs-Thomas https://www.money.co.uk 2m 603
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
As interest in ESG investing surges, research by Money.co.uk reveals the green investments that are performing the best right now.According to data obtained from Google Trends, there has been an increase of 2200% in searches relating to ‘ESG investing’ over the last 5 years.
And in the past 24 hours alone, we’ve seen Hedge Fund titan Bill Ackman back ESG investing, a report released that highlights the potential cost to investors of ignoring ESG risks and findings from a study that highlights that ESG client conversations are becoming more prevalent with advisers.
But it’s not just experienced investors who are considering making green investments. Those who are looking to get started with investing for the first time are actively buying shares of companies because of their impressive environmental, social, and corporate governance.
People are becoming increasingly aware of their environmental impact – including their investment strategies. Investing in green companies isn’t just an ethical move, but it could also be a potentially smart and profitable one too!
But which are the eco-friendly companies that have seen their shares perform best since the start of the year?
You can see Money.co.uk‘s full ‘Investing Green’ report here:
https://www.money.co.uk/investing.htm#investing-greenThe green investments that performed the best in Q1 2021
Here are the 10 best performing green companies across Q1 2021, showcasing the increase in share price since the start of the year, alongside an insight into what $1,000 invested then would be worth after just 3 months, with the top performing companies having more than doubled returns.
Rank Company Sector Q1 Opening Share Price Q1 Closing Share Price Q1 % Increase Value of $1,000 Invested Jan 1st 2021 1 United Natural Foods Organics $15.97 $32.94 106.3% $2,063 2 Green Plains Partners Renewable Energy $7.95 $12.32 55.0% $1,550 3 Daqo New Energy Solar Power $57.36 $75.50 31.6% $1,316 4 SunPower Solar Power $25.64 $33.45 30.5% $1,305 5 FuelCell Energy Green Transport $11.17 $14.41 29.0% $1,290 6 General Electric Wind Power $10.80 $13.13 21.6% $1,216 7 Cheniere Energy Alternative Energy $60.03 $72.01 20.0% $1,200 8 VanEck Vectors Environmental Services Pollution Control $120.27 $133.53 11.0% $1,110 9 Mowi Water $22.05 $24.46 10.9% $1,109 10 Waste Management Waste Reduction $117.93 $129.02 9.4% $1,094
See which eco-friendly companies are performed the best right now…
https://www.money.co.uk/investing.htm#investing-green
1. United Natural Foods – +106.3%
Q1 opening share price – $15.97
Q1 closing share price – $32.94One company that has seen substantial growth since the turn of the year is United Natural Foods, which saw its share prices more than double, from $15.97 to $32.94.
The natural and organic supermarket wholesaler has seen its profits rise at an impressive rate and also recently extended its contract with its biggest customer, Whole Foods, until 2027, as people continue to look to order healthy food to their homes during the pandemic.
2. Green Plains Partners – +55%
Q1 opening share price – $7.95
Q1 closing share price – $12.32Green Plains is a producer of ethanol fuel, a form of renewable fuel that can be produced from common crops such as hemp, sugarcane and potato, which saw its share price spike around the beginning of March, with prices up by 55% since the start of the year.
Their impressive quarter follows the acquisition of fellow biofuel company Fluid Quip Technologies and a carbon offtake agreement with Summit Carbon Solutions.
3. Daqo New Energy – +31.6%
Q1 opening share price – $57.36
Q1 closing share price – $75.50Initially founded in China, Daqo specializes in the manufacture of monocrystalline silicon and polysilicon which are key components in solar panels, with solar power one of the big success stories of recent years.
Their share price has increased by almost a third between the start of the year and the end of March, as the industry continues to recover from the hits taken in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
You can see how 50 of the world’s biggest green companies and funds performed in Q1 2021 here.
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