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October 14, 2005
Rising Oil Prices Fuel Investment Returns in Renewable Energy for New Alternatives Fund
by William Baue
The first environmental mutual fund is also globalizing its reach to capitalize on innovative
developments in alternative energies in other countries.
SocialFunds.com --
Rising fossil fuel prices are sparking interest in renewable energies and activity in alternative
energy is globalizing. This combination is powering strong investment returns for the New
Alternatives Fund (ticker: NALFX). Founded by
father-and-son team Maurice and David Schoenwald in September 1982 as the seminal environmental
mutual fund, the fund been on a hot streak lately with one-year returns of 21.54 percent.
 These results place the fund in the ninth
percentile compared to peer funds of similar style and asset class as well as other
attributes--including both those in the socially responsible investing (SRI) realm with New
Alternatives and those in the mainstream. In other words, New Alternatives has outperformed 91
percent of like funds over the past year. Looking at the longer term, the fund's three-year
annualized returns stand at 18.18 percent, placing it in the 29th percentile.
All fund
statistics cited in this article are based on data provided to SocialFunds.com by Thomson Financial Network
covering the period ending September 30, 2005.
"There certainly has been increased
interest in alternate energy in the US, but I think the interest is greater overseas and has been
for a number of years," David Schoenwald told SocialFunds.com. "I'm sure the higher oil and
natural gas prices have contributed to the investment interest and stock performance in alternative
energy."
"Outside of the US, there is also interest in the environment specific to meeting
goals and obligations of the Kyoto treaty, separate and apart from the price of oil," he added.
The Kyoto Protocol,
which sets country-level limits of allowable emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), came into force
after Russia ratified the treaty in February 2005. While the US and Australia are among the
countries that have not ratified the treaty, all companies operating in ratifying countries must
comply with it regardless of where they are based.
New Alternatives is adapting to the
increasingly global nature of alternative energy.
"More than a third of our assets are
invested in foreign companies," stated Mr. Schoenwald, who noted that this falls just below the 35
percent limit for foreign holdings stipulated by the fund prospectus. "We have asked our
shareholders to remove the limitation."
"Over the past year, we've done well with a number
of the foreign holdings with interests in renewable energy, particularly in Spain," he added. "A
company that has done relatively well this year is Acciona from Spain--its renewable energy
division, EHN, is
involved in wind, small hydro, and biodiesel, among other renewables."
At 4.31 percent of
the portfolio, Acciona (ACA.MC) represents
the top holding in the fund. The next two top holdings are also based in Spain: Abengoa (ABG.MC--4.14
percent) deals in biomass, solar, and aluminum recycling, while Gamesa (GAM.MC--3.62 percent) is involved
in wind parks and turbines, and owns US-based wind power developer Navitas.
The fund is primarily invested in
alternative energy and renewable energy, though it extends to other sectors that are
energy-related, such as recycling and natural foods.
"If less energy is used to produce
recycled steel and aluminum than to make steel and aluminum from iron ore and bauxite, there is a
net energy saving," explained Mr. Schoenwald. "If less petroleum-based fertilizer is used in
organic farming, that also represents energy savings, not to mention less water pollution."
Natural foods represent about 3.5 percent of the portfolio assets, while recycling-related
holdings "are quite small and have been disappointing," according to Mr. Schoenwald.
The
current spike in interest in alternative energies does not surprise Mr. Schoenwald, as he has been
able to discern cycles of interest over the two-plus decades he's been tracking this field.
"There is a greater interest when energy prices are high, for example in the Jimmy Carter
Administration, and there was greater interest during the California power crisis a couple years
ago," said Mr. Schoenwald. "There appears to be greater interest in clean energy and the
environment when there is a Democratic President and Congress, for example in the Clinton
Administration."
The current Republican Administration and Congress have expressed
antipathy toward alternative and renewable energies and conservation. For example, the Republican
Study Committee (RSC) chaired by
Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) released
a report
in September 2005 entitled Operation Offset that proposes options for reducing the federal
budget.
For example, the report proposes eliminating the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Energy Star program to save $835 million over the next ten years,
despite the fact that the program saved US residents about $10 billion last year, according to the
2004 Energy Star Annual Report.
The New Alternatives Fund includes energy conservation
as a form of alternative energy. It also screens nuclear power, oil, and coal burning, as well as
implementing other traditional SRI exclusionary screens
such as alcohol, tobacco, weapons, gambling, and animal testing and positive screens such as human
rights, labor relations, and anti-discrimination. The fund, which has an expense ratio of 1.18
percent and assets of $59.8 million, holds cash positions in five socially responsible banks that
support community investment, including ShoreBank in Chicago, Self-Help Credit Union in North Caroline, Chittenden Bank in Vermont.
©
SRI World Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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