Vegan fund outperforms (VEGN). “Since inception, VEGN has returned 27.69%… against the S&P500 Index’s 19.75% through to end August 2020, says Beyond Investing.” Other stocks and funds covered are Beyond Meat, Moderna, Genius Brands International, Nikola, Gevo Inc., Taronis Fuels, Inc., EarthRenew Inc., Tesla, Inc., Plug Power Inc., Workhorse Group, Inc., Algonquin Power. And more

PODCAST: Vegan Fund Outperforms. And More…

Transcript & Links, Episode 41, September 25, 2020

Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to podcast episode 41 published on September 11 titled “Vegan Fund Outperforms. And More…”— and presented by Investing for the Soul. investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing news, commentary, information, and resources.

Remember that you can find a full transcript, links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – at this episode’s podcast page located at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts.

And Google any terms that are unfamiliar to you.

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1. Vegan Fund Outperforms. And More…

A year ago in my podcast of September 13, 2019, I covered the launch of the US Vegan Climate ETF VEGN. Well, the ETF Professor at Benzinga.com published a piece that also appeared on MarketWatch titled In First Year, Nifty Vegan ETF Struts Its Stuff.

Here are some quotes from the article.

“[The US Vegan Climate ETF, stock symbol, VEGN], celebrated its first birthday last week [and] tracks the Beyond Investing US Vegan Climate Index. That benchmark… is designed to provide investors with exposure to companies ‘zero animal exploitation and zero fossil fuel, represents a portfolio of stocks with lower greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation and fresh water utilisation as compared to the S&P500 Index,’ according to Beyond Investing…

‘Since inception, VEGN has returned 27.69% total return on market price against the S&P500 Index’s 19.75% through to end August 2020…’ according to Beyond Investing.

Vegan Climate ETF

implements an array of impact metrics, including greenhouse gases, water utilization, water generation, social good, environmental benefit, environmental harm and social harm, in constructing its portfolio…

‘Since its conception, Beyond Investing has always avoided companies involved in unethical practices towards animals, people, and the planet,’ said VEGN’s issuer. ‘Its stringent screening process weeds out animal exploitation, child labor, high carbon intensity, the burning or extraction of fossil fuels, single-use plastics, and any other activity deemed to have a significant negative impact on the environment….’

‘Demand for meat and dairy products has declined for the first time in nine years,’ notes Beyond Investing. ‘Leaving aside the documented links between environmental destruction, animal exploitation, and the emergence of COVID-19, slaughterhouse stoppages because of high worker infection rates, resulting in on-farm killing and disposal of animals, have been Public Relations disasters for the industry.  Conversely, sales of plant-based products have been booming.” End quotes.

Further support for the vegan/vegetarian investing theme is coming from the climate campaign movement as a headline in a recent Financial Times article titled Climate campaigners turn their focus from fossil fuels to meat—makes clear!

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16 of the Most Popular Stocks Among Millennials

Next, we have another good report from Kiplinger, titled 16 of the Most Popular Stocks Among Millennials written by Charles Lewis Sizemore. I’ve picked from them four stocks that might be considered by most ethical and sustainable investors. For the full list click the article link in this podcast episode.

Mr. Sizemore writes that “For a generation known for doing things its own way and projecting their values with their pocketbook, the stock portfolios of Millennials are remarkably conventional.

What’s far more interesting about the list, however, is which stocks have become more popular among Millennials across the year…

All [these stocks] have seen significant jumps in the rankings since the end of March, and several will likely surprise you.

1) Moderna (MRNA, $57.56)

Is popular among Millennials, coming in at 40th in the second quarter after not being ranked at all in the first.

It’s not hard to see the investment play here. Moderna is one of the leading candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine.

2) Beyond Meat (BYND, $143.04)

Which makes plant-based veggie burgers and other meat substitutes, climbed the ranks over the past quarter from 50th to 41st.

3) Genius Brands International (GNUS, $1.05)

Has suddenly found itself popular with Millennials. The stock was unranked in the first quarter but now finds itself ranked 46th. Genius Brands creates and licenses ‘content with a purpose for toddlers and young children’. That’s a fancy way of saying educational cartoons.

4) Nikola (NKLA, $37.57)

Is very much a Millennial story stock. Nikola makes electric and fuel-cell 18-wheeler trucks… It only went public on June 4. But by the end of June, it had already rocketed higher to become the 49th most popular stock in Millennial portfolios.” End quotes.

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3 Alternative Energy Penny Stocks to Watch Today

I’ve talked a lot about renewable and alternative energy stocks in these podcasts, but one segment in that area I haven’t covered are really small companies. Joseph Keller has penned an article titled 3 Alternative Energy Penny Stocks to Watch Today that appeared on the microsmallcap.com site.

I’ll mention the name of each company followed by some of Mr. Keller’s remarks about that company.

“1) Gevo Inc. (NASDAQ:GEVO)

“Gevo Inc. is a biofuel and renewable chemicals company based outside of Denver, Colorado… As has been the case for most green technology stocks, Gevo’s stock price took a tumble throughout the first three months of the year. On August 20, however, the company’s stock price more than tripled to $1.84 per share after Gevo announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement for a $50 million registered direct offering.

2) Taronis Fuels, Inc. (OTC:TRNF)

Taronis Fuels is a clean technology company based out of Phoenix, Arizona, focused on offering energy solutions using proprietary clean gas technology…

Taronis Fuels’ stock took a slide as the COVID-19 pandemic choked markets, going from $0.23 per share in early March to $0.08 on March 23.

3) EarthRenew Inc. (CSE:ERTH)

Based in Calgary, Alberta, EarthRenew Inc. is an agricultural technology company with proprietary technology that transforms livestock waste into organic fertilizer…

After taking a fall to $0.15 per share in late March, EarthRenew recovered to reach a high of $0.40 per share in mid-June… On August 26, EarthRenew released the results from field trials conducted with Lethbridge College. These results showed that EarthRenew’s fertilizer formulations increased plant growth by up to 207% for barley and up to 49% for peas during the germination phase.”

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3 Stocks to ELECTRIFY Your Portfolio’s Returns

More on energy by a new analyst to this podcast. His name is Sidharath Gupta and he wrote an article titled 3 Stocks to ELECTRIFY Your Portfolio’s Returns that appeared on the stocknews.com site.

As usual, I’ll mention the name of the recommended company followed by relevant quotes about that company from the article.

“1) Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)

Tesla designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles, electric vehicle powertrain components, and stationary energy storage systems in the United States, China, and internationally. It is the world’s only fully integrated sustainable energy company.

The stock gained 406% year-to-date to close yesterday’s session at $423.43. Strong product demand from China and its battery unique development are primarily driving the stock higher. The stock is up more than 395% in the last six months.

[Tesla has an overall POWR Rating of B.]

2) Plug Power Inc. (PLUG)

PLUG is an alternative energy technology provider that engages in the design, development, manufacture, and commercialization of fuel cell systems for the industrial off-road markets worldwide. It provides hydrogen fuel cell turnkey solutions for the electric mobility and stationary power markets…

The stock is up more than 134% in the last three months and is trading 10.5% below its 52-week high of $14.35.

PLUG’s POWR Ratings reflect a promising outlook. It has an overall rating of ‘Buy.’

3) Workhorse Group, Inc. (WKHS)

Designs, manufactures, and sells electric, high-performance, medium-duty trucks… The stock has gained more than 822% year-to-date to close yesterday’s trading session at $28.03. The stock… skyrocketed in June when the company announced that two of its electric delivery vans had completed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards testing, paving the way for its sales and production in the United States. The stock has increased by more than 1662% in the past six months.

Workhorse Group’s strong momentum is reflected in its ‘strong buy’ POWR Rating.” End quotes.

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Algonquin Power

Another name in the renewable energy field is Algonquin Power (TSX:AQN)(NYSE:AQN) recommended by Robin Brown in a post titled 2 Top TSX Income Stocks to Buy in September 2020. I saw it on the Canadian Motley Fool site.

Mr. Brown says this about the company, quote “Investors benefit from a very predictable cash flow stream from the regulated natural gas, electricity, and water distribution businesses. They also benefit from the favourable ESG and green investing tailwinds that will fuel green energy earnings and multiple expansion for many years ahead. By combining these two unique segments, investors get stability, consistency, and growth… The stock is paying a nice 4.5% dividend, but there’s lots of room for that to grow.” End quote.

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End Comment

Well, these are my top news stories and their stock and fund tips — for this podcast: “Vegan Fund Outperforms. And More…”

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Talk to you again on October 9. Bye for now.

© 2020 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul