Recession Opportunities: Green Investing

Green ETFs
What if you want the best of stocks and the best of mutual funds? Exchange-traded funds offer the diversity of mutual funds but the liquidity of stocks, so they can be bought and sold on the market during the day.

PowerShares Wilderhill Clean Energy Portfolio (Stock Quote: PBW)
Investment type: Exchange-traded fund.
What they do that’s green: This fund usually invests a majority of its portfolio in clean energy companies like Air Products & Chemicals (Stock Quote: APD) and Quanta Services (Stock Quote: PWR).
Numbers at a glance: A wildly popular fund a couple of years ago, is currently trading at roughly $10 a share, down more than 60% from it 2007 peak of $28 per share.

Van Eck Global Alternative Energy ETF (Stock Quote: GEX)
Investment type: Exchange-traded fund.
What they do that’s green: The fund is made up of about 30 companies worldwide from First Solar to Vestas, that generate at least 50% of their sales from alternative energy applications.
Numbers at a glance: It’s trading at $25 per share, more than 50% below its 52-week high.