October 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks. Top sustainable companies, best renewable energy stocks related to Chinese emission cuts, plus…

Transcript & Links, Episode 160, October 24, 2025

Hello, Ron Robins here. Welcome to my podcast episode 160, published on October 24, 2025, titled “October 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks.”

This podcast is presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your go-to site for vital global, ethical, and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources.

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

Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don’t receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein.

I have a great crop of 10 articles for you in this podcast! Note: Some companies are covered more than once.

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Sustainable Companies: 50 Top Investments For Sustainability on investors.com

This first article could provide you with several investing ideas. It’s titled Sustainable Companies: 50 Top Investments For Sustainability on investors.com. The introduction is by Anne Stanley. Here are some quotes from Ms. Stanley.

“The top ranks are filled with financial services, utility and consumer companies…

To build IBD’s 2025 list of the Most Sustainable Companies, we started with Morningstar’s U.S. and global Low Carbon Transition Leaders Indexes…

The stocks had to have a price of $10 or more and sufficient data to create an IBD Composite Rating. We further qualified the list by removing stocks that did not meet or beat the S&P 500 in the past five years. We selected the companies with the highest IBD Composite Rating — all with scores of 80 or better.

Finally, we ranked the companies by their Morningstar Sustainalytics climate management score, using the IBD Composite Rating to break any ties.”

End quotes

IBD’s top 5 companies for 2025 are Eaton (ETN), Bank of Montreal (BMO), Stantec (STN), Loews (L) and TJX Companies (TJX).

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10 Stocks and Funds that Benefit from China’s Emissions Cuts on morningstar.com

This second article might seem a little unusual. To see why, here’s the title. 10 Stocks and Funds that Benefit from China’s Emissions Cuts on morningstar.com. It’s by Leslie P. Norton. Some of the investments are Chinese, which might bother some people; nonetheless, they will appeal to many others who follow this podcast. Here are a few quotes and some picks from the article.

“China has announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7%-10% from peak levels by 2035. This is the first time the country has committed to an absolute emissions target. In a video address to the United Nations, President Xi Jinping also said that China would boost wind and solar capacity sixfold from 2020 levels and increase the share of non-fossil fuels to more than 30% of total energy consumption…

Who Benefits from China’s Emissions Cuts?

China will also accelerate its voluntary carbon market and carbon certificates, which companies can trade to offset their own emissions. Kathlyn Collins, head of responsible investing and stewardship at Matthews Asia [says]…‘With the increase in terms of focus on emissions reduction from intensity to absolute emission levels, more and more industries will come under the purview of the emissions trading scheme.’

According to Collins, the main beneficiaries will be battery storage systems, grid infrastructure upgrading, smart grid metering, energy management systems, environmental consulting, monitoring compliance, and of course the continued buildout of renewables and lean power.

Stocks That Could Benefit From China’s Emissions Cuts

Source: Morningstar. Data as of 09/26/2025.

For US Investors, Funds That Could Benefit From China’s Emissions Cuts

Source: Morningstar. Data as of 09/26/2025.”

End quotes.

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3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Riding the Coming Power Crunch on finance.yahoo.com

For many ethical and sustainable investors, this next article adds a few new company names to consider. It’s titled 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks Riding the Coming Power Crunch on finance.yahoo.com and is by George Budwell. Here are some quotes from Mr. Budwell.

“1. Iren Ltd. (NASDAQ: IREN)

has transformed its roots as a Bitcoin miner into a broader play on high-performance computing. The company is redeploying its energy-intensive infrastructure to support artificial intelligence, acquiring massive GPU fleets that include Nvidia’s B-series accelerators and AMD’s (AMD) new MI350X chips. That pivot is already showing up in the numbers: revenue climbed 226% year over year to $187 million in Q4 fiscal 2025, while gross margins improved as higher-value AI services began to supplement traditional mining…

The stock has surged 326% year to date, reflecting investor enthusiasm, but the AI cloud segment is still in its early innings. The main risk is utilization: if customer demand doesn’t keep pace, expensive GPUs could sit idle while fixed costs pile up. Still, Iren has so far executed well on its transition, positioning itself as one of the more credible emerging players at the intersection of compute and energy.

2. Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD)

designs and builds AI-optimized data centers from the ground up. Its flagship Polaris Forge campus is planned to scale to 1 gigawatt of capacity — enough to power a small city. A marquee lease with CoreWeave (CRWV) validates demand for its high-density facilities, but the stock already trades at roughly 34 times trailing sales, far above peer multiples.

That valuation captures both the upside and the risk. If Applied Digital delivers on schedule and secures high utilization at premium rates, early investors could see outsized gains. But construction delays, cost overruns, or permitting issues could quickly erode returns. The stock’s sharp swings this year underline just how much speculation is embedded in today’s price.

3. Poet Technologies (NASDAQ: POET)

is targeting one of AI’s hidden bottlenecks: the energy cost of moving data inside data centers. Its optical interposer platform uses light instead of electricity for chip-to-chip and rack-to-rack communication, aiming to cut power consumption while boosting speed…

With a sub-$500 million market cap, the stock carries lottery-ticket risk/reward: meaningful upside if design wins materialize, but significant execution risk until revenues reach scale.”

End quotes.

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Shining a Light on 5 Clean Energy ETFs as We Step Into Q4 on finance.yahoo.com

Now some picks from a regular to this podcast, Aparajita Dutta. Her article is titled Shining a Light on 5 Clean Energy ETFs as We Step Into Q4 on finance.yahoo.com. It originally appeared on zacks.com. Here are a few comments by Ms. Dutta on each one of her picks.

“1. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN)

This fund is the largest clean energy ETF, providing exposure to leading companies in solar, wind, and other renewable sectors worldwide. Sector-wise, renewable electricity constitutes 20.41% of this fund…

[It] has surged 35.4% year to date. The fund charges 39 basis points (bps) as fees. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN): ETF Research Reports.

2. First Trust Nasdaq Clean Edge Green Energy ETF (QCLN)

This fund focuses on U.S.-listed companies involved in renewable electricity generation, energy storage, electric vehicles, and those involved in emerging clean energy technologies. Sector-wise, renewable energy equipment constitutes 20.31% and alternative electricity comprises 10.23% of this fund…

[It] has soared 24.1% year to date. The fund charges 56 bps as fees. First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy ETF (QCLN): ETF Research Reports.

3. ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES)

This fund offers exposure to U.S. and Canadian companies involved in the clean energy sector, including renewables and clean technology. Sector-wise, solar forms 26.81%, electric vehicles constitute 22.45%, energy management and storage comprise 15.86%, wind holds 12.22% and Hydro/Geothermal comprises 9.49% of this fund…

[It] has surged 24.2% year to date. The fund charges 55 bps as fees. ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES): ETF Research Reports.

4. Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW)

This fund offers exposure to a broad range of U.S.-listed clean energy companies. Sector-wise, energy constitutes 3.78% and utilities comprise 3.78% of this fund…

[It] has surged 44.7% year to date. The fund charges 65 bps as fees. Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW): ETF Research Reports.

5. Fidelity Clean Energy ETF (FRNW)

This fund offers exposure to companies that distribute, produce or provide technology or equipment to support the production of energy from solar, wind, hydrogen and other renewable sources. Industry-wise, Independent Power & Renewable Electricity Producers constitutes 22.54% and electric utilities comprise 8.09% of this fund…

[It] has soared 42.9% year to date. The fund charges 40 bps as fees. Fidelity Clean Energy ETF (FRNW): ETF Research Reports.”

End quotes.

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Renewable Energy Stocks To Research – on marketbeat.com

The last review article is titled Renewable Energy Stocks To Research – on marketbeat.com. And it’s by MarketBeat analysts. Here are some quotes on their picks.

“[These] are the seven Renewable Energy stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeat’s stock screener tool… [They] had the highest dollar trading volume of any Renewable Energy stocks within the last several days.

1. WEC Energy Group (WEC)

WEC Energy through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments. Read Our Latest Research Report on WEC.

2. Quanta Services (PWR)

Quanta Services provides infrastructure solutions for the electric and gas utility, renewable energy, communications, and pipeline and energy industries in the United States, Canada, Australia, and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on PWR.

3. Clearway Energy (CWEN)

Clearway Energy operates in the renewable energy business in the United States. The company operates through Conventional and Renewables segments. It has approximately 6,000 net MW of installed wind, solar, and energy generation projects; and approximately 2,500 net MW of natural gas-fired generation facilities. Read Our Latest Research Report on CWEN.

4. NOV (NOV)

NOV Inc. designs, constructs, manufactures, and sells systems, components, and products for oil and gas drilling and production, and industrial and renewable energy sectors in the United States and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on NOV.

5. HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI)

HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, through its subsidiaries, engages in the investment of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure markets in the United States. The company’s portfolio includes equity investments, commercial and government receivables, real estate, and debt securities. Read Our Latest Research Report on HASI.

6. Gibraltar Industries (ROCK)

Gibraltar Industries manufactures and provides products and services for the renewable energy, residential, agtech, and infrastructure markets in the United States and internationally. Read Our Latest Research Report on ROCK.

7. Ameresco (AMRC)

Ameresco a clean technology integrator, provides a portfolio of energy efficiency and renewable energy supply solutions… It operates through U.S. Regions… Canada, Europe, Alternative Fuels, and All Other segments. Read Our Latest Research Report on AMRC.”

End quotes.

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More articles with Sustainable Investment Picks for October 2025 from around the world.

1. Title: NBIS vs. MSFT: Which AI Infrastructure Stock is the Smarter Bet? On finance.yahoo.com. By Vaishali Doshi.

2. Title: Could This Overlooked Infrastructure Stock Be the Market’s Next Multibagger? On fool.com. By Harsh Chauhan.

3. Title: HUBB, NEE, and XYL: Hidden Stock Winners in the Energy Transition on marketbeat.com. By Chris Markoch.

4. Title: Is Now the Right Moment for Enphase Stock After the Recent 6.7% Rally? on simplywall.st. By Simply Wall St.

5. Title: Green Energy Gold Rush: 5 Best Clean Energy Stocks to Buy on ts2.tech. By Marcin Frąckiewicz.

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Ending Comment

These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast, “October 2025 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks .”

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My next podcast will be on November 21^st.

See you then. Bye for now.

© 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul