Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now

It's been a long time coming for both natural gas and solar as viable sources of energy in the United States. Both have been struggling with a lack of consumer and industrial buy-in, but both could be right around the corner. Is either one standing out at the moment?

The debate is on
In the following video, Motley Fool analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman each weigh in on how natural gas and solar have been performing lately and which companies are taking the lead. Both options have made progress recently, with Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE  ) building out its "America's Natural Gas Highway" initiative and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) producing more efficient solar panels.

Has Clean Energy Fuels solved the "chicken-or-the-egg" debate?
The movement toward alternative energy is gaining momentum. One potential opportunity in this field is Clean Energy Fuels, which focuses its natural gas efforts primarily on trucking and fleets. It's poised to make a big impact on an essential industry. Learn everything you need to know about Clean Energy Fuels in The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company. Just click here now to claim your copy today.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: Wilson HTM Investment Group Ltd(WIG.AX)

Wilson HTM Investment Group Ltd provides various financial planning services in Australia. It operates through three segments: Capital Markets, Wealth Management, and Business Investment. The Capital Markets segment engages in selecting outperforming sectors and companies; providing equity capital markets, and merger and acquisition advisory services; offering research on ASX listed entities; and providing stock broking services to institutional clients. The Wealth Management segment offers stock broking, financial planning, and discretionary fund management services to retail and wholesale clients; manages specialty fund investments, including Priority Growth Fund and Priority Core Fund; provides cash and fixed interest services, and equity products and investment accounts; and offers attribution and risk analysis services to fund managers. The Business Investment segment develops and operates boutique fund management businesses; provides back office support and administr ation services to start-up fund managers; and invests in equity and fund investments. The company serves personal investors, self managed super fund investors, corporate and institutional, and advisers. Wilson HTM Investment Group Ltd was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: MaxLinear Inc (MXL)

MaxLinear, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, marketing, and sale of integrated, radio-frequency (RF), and mixed-signal semiconductor solutions for broadband communications applications. Its RF receiver products capture and process digital and analog signals to be decoded for various applications. The company�s products include RF receivers and RF receiver systems-on-chips that demodulate broadband signals. Its products enable the reception of broadband data and video content in electronic devices, including cable and terrestrial set top boxes, DOCSIS voice and data cable modems, digital televisions, mobile handsets, personal computers, netbooks, and in-vehicle entertainment devices. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, module makers, and original design manufacturers through direct sales force, third party sales representatives, and a network of distributors. MaxLinear, Inc. markets its products and s ervices to consumer electronics and communications companies primarily in China, Taiwan, and Japan. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

Best Safest Stocks To Invest In 2014: Groupon Inc (GRPN)

Groupon, Inc. (Groupon) is a local e-commerce marketplace that connects merchants to consumers by offering goods and services at a discount. Each day the Company e-mails its subscribers discounted offers for goods and services that are targeted by location and personal preferences. Consumers also access its deals directly through its Websites and mobile applications. The Company operates in two segments: North America, which represents the United States and Canada; and International, which represents the rest of its global operations. Customers purchase Groupons from the Company and redeem them with its merchants. As of September 30, 2011, the Company featured deals from over 190,000 merchants worldwide across over 190 categories of goods and services. Groupon primarily addresses the worldwide local commerce markets in the leisure, recreation, foodservice and retail sectors. In February 2012, the Company announced the launch of Groupon Thailand. In September 2012, it acquired Savored.

In May 2010, the Company acquired CityDeal Europe GmbH (CityDeal). In August 2010, the Company acquired Qpod.inc (Qpod). In November 2010, the Company acquired Ludic Labs, Inc., a company that designs and develops local marketing services. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company acquired Mobly, Inc. In February 2011, the Company launched Deal Channels, which aggregates daily deals from the same category.

The Company distributes a featured daily deal by e-mail on behalf of local merchants to subscribers. It offers daily deals from more than 40 national merchants, including Bath & Body Works, The Body Shop, Hyatt Regency, InterContinental Hotels, Lions Gate, Redbox, Shutterfly and Zipcar across subsets of the North American market. Daily deals that do not appear as a featured daily deal appear as Deals Nearby. Each Deal Nearby is summarized in fewer than 20 words next to the featured daily deal. Deals Nearby often extends beyond the subscriber's closest market or buying preferences.

National merchants also have used the Company�� marketplace as an alternative to traditional marketing and brand advertising. On August 19, 2010, the Company e-mailed and posted a Groupon daily deal offering $50 of apparel at Gap for $25 to 9.2 million subscribers across 85 markets in North America. It sold approximately 433,000 Groupons in 24 hours. Of the consumers who purchased Groupons, approximately 200,000 were new subscribers. As of September 30, 2011, it had 142.9 million subscribers to its daily e-mails.

Groupon NOW is a deal initiated by a merchant on demand and offered instantly to subscribers through mobile devices and its Website. Subsequent to the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company launched Groupon NOW in 25 North American markets. Deal Channels aggregate daily deals from the same category and are accessible through its Website and through e-mail alerts that subscribers sign up to receive. It offers Deal Channels in home and garden and event tickets and travel. Merchants can register their deals to be included in a Deal Channel. Subscribers can use Deal Channels to focus on deals that are of interest to them.

Self-Service Deals allows the Company�� merchants to use a self-service platform to create and launch deals at their discretion. The use of the platform is free and allows merchants to establish a permanent e-commerce presence on Groupon that can be visited and followed by subscribers. The Company receives a portion of the purchase price from deals sold through Self-Service Deals based on the extent to which it marketed the deal. In December 2010, it launched Self-Service Deals in selected North American markets.

Groupon Goods enables consumers to purchase vouchers for products directly from its Website. The Company e-mails deals for Groupon Goods weekly to a targeted subscriber base. The Company offers deals for a variety of product categories, including electronics, home and garden and toys. In September 2011, the Compa! ny launch! ed Groupon Goods in select North American and International markets.

Groupon Rewards enables consumers to unlock special Groupon deals from local merchants through repeat visits. Consumers earn reward points at participating merchants by paying with the credit or debit card they have registered with the Company. Merchants set the amount the consumer must spend to unlock a reward deal, and once a consumer is eligible to unlock a deal, it automatically notifies them. The Company distributes its deals directly through several platforms: a daily e-mail, its Websites, its mobile applications and social networks.

In December 2010, the Company partnered with Redbox to offer a daily deal to their user base and it acquired over 200,000 new customers through that offer and in March 2011, it partnered with eBay to offer a daily deal to their user base and it acquired over 290,000 new customers through that offer. The featured daily deal e-mail contains one headline deal with a full-description of the deal and often contains links to More Great Deals Nearby, all of which are available within a subscriber's market.

Visitors are prompted to register as a subscriber when they first visit its Website and thereafter use the Website as a portal for featured daily deals, Deals Nearby, national deals, and where available, Deal Channels and Self-Service Deals. Consumers also access the Company�� deals through its mobile applications, which are available on the iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows mobile operating systems. It launched its first mobile application in March 2010. The Company publishes its daily deals through various social networks and its notifications are adapted to the particular format of each of these social networking platforms.

Groupon competes with Google, Microsoft, Eversave, BuyWithMe and LivingSocial.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nick Taborek]

  Groupon Inc. (GRPN) rallied 22 percent to $10.60, the biggest jump since December. The operator of the largest daily-deals website�� second-quarter net loss was narrower than analysts forecast. The company also named co-founder Eric Lefkofsky as CEO to lead turnaround plans.

• [By Sue Chang and Polya Lesova]

  Internet-related stocks, viewed as a high-growth sector by analysts, were again weak. Zynga Inc. (ZNGA) �declined 0.9%, Groupon Inc. (GRPN) �lost 0.9%, Pandora Media Inc. (P) dropped 1.7%, and Yelp Inc. (YELP) �retreated 0.1%.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Ten months ago, I penned some bullish thoughts on a little company called Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN). For those of you with good memories and accurate mental calendars, you'll immediately recognize why that sounds a little odd - ten months ago was when the implosion of GRPN was undeniable. The much-ballyhooed stock had fallen from its initial publicly-traded price $28.00 per share in October of 2011 to a low of $4.00 just a few days before I chimed in. Though there was a small handful of Groupon supporters still saying "buy" whenever and wherever they could, by and large, the majority of investors not only didn't like the stock by that point (in the shadow of an 86% meltdown), they didn't even want to bother hating it any longer. Investors had simply mentally moved on. GRPN had reached what I call the 'apathy stage"... the point where the media stops covering it because nobody would be interested in hearing about the company any longer.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: RDA Microelectronics Inc.(RDA)

RDA Microelectronics, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs, develops, and markets radio-frequency and mixed-signal semiconductors for cellular, broadcast, and connectivity applications. Its products include power amplifiers, transceivers and front-end modules, FM radio receivers and transmitters, set-top box tuners, analog mobile television receivers, walkie-talkie transceivers, LNB satellite downconverters, and Bluetooth system-on-chips for mobile handsets. The company?s products also comprise GSM/EDGE power amplifier modules, GSM transceivers, TD-SCDMA transceivers, SCDMA transceivers, 3G switch modules, GSM power amplifier and switch modules, PHS transceivers, TD-SCDMA/GSM dual-mode transceivers, and radio frequency switches; DVB-T tuners, DVB-S and DVB-S2 satellite tuners, analog mobile television receiver system-on-chips, and FM radio receivers with radio data system; and Bluetooth + FM system-on-chips for mobile handsets and walkie-talkie transceivers for professional applications. Its products are incorporated into mobile handsets, set-top boxes, MP3 players, and other wireless and consumer electronic devices. RDA Microelectronics sells its products through distributors in the People?s Republic of China, southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, the Russian Federation, and Latin America. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  RDA Microelectronics (NASDAQ: RDA) was also up, gaining 11.12 percent to $17.28 after the company announced the receipt of $18.00/ADS acquisition proposal from Tsinghua Unigroup.

• [By Anna Prior]

  RDA Microelectronics Inc.(RDA) agreed to be acquired by a unit of Chinese state owned Tsinghua Holdings Co. in a deal estimated at $910 million. RDA Microelectronics shareholders will receive $18.50 per American depositary share, a 5.5% premium to Friday’s close.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  RDA Microelectronics Inc.(RDA) has received a takeover proposal from Shanghai Pudong Science & Technology Investment Co. valuing the Chinese semiconductor company at $745 million. PDSTI, a state-owned investment company, offered to buy RDA for $15.50 an American depositary share, a 12% premium to RDA’s closing price Thursday. RDA shares were halted premarket ahead of the news.

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  RDA Microelectronics (NASDAQ: RDA) shot up 11.96 percent to $15.54 after the company received a non-binding acquisition proposal.

  Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) got a boost, shooting up 9.02 percent to $24.41 after the company reported a 6.1 percent rise in its fiscal second-quarter earnings.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: Comcast Corporation(CMCSK)

Comcast Corporation provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. The company?s Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and voice services to residential and business customers. As of December 31, 2011, its cable systems served 22.3 million video, 18.1 million high-speed Internet, and 9.3 million voice customers. Its Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Cloo, and Universal HD; cable news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network; regional sports and news networks; international cable networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and its Universal Networks International networks; cable television production studio; and digital media properties primarily comprising brand-aligned and other Websites, s uch as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. The company?s Broadcast Television segment primarily operates NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; NBC and Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television production operations; and related digital media properties, which primarily include brand-aligned Websites. Its Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. The company?s Theme Parks segment operates Universal theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood. Comcast Corporation also operates the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, a multipurpose arena in Philadelphia; provides facilities management services; and offers food services for sporting events, concerts, and other events. The company was founded in 1969 and is based in Philadelphia, Penn sylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Averaging 125% on shares bought, a high gaining stock in this portfolio is Comcast Corp. (CMCSK), up 32% over 12 months.

  His holding history:

• [By Steve Birenberg]

  Despite merger and acquisition rumors popping up all around the cable and satellite industry, Comcast (CMCSK) shares have not moved higher. This makes sense since Comcast is by far the biggest company in U.S. pay TV industry, with 25 million subscribers. Charter Communications, now 25% owned by cable industry pioneer John Malone's Liberty Media (LMCA), has just 4 million subscribers. Charter is hoping to buy Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable company with 10 million subscribers.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  There's a major shift in the kinds of things Americans do to entertain themselves. Just ask the folks at AMC Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:AMCX), SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (NYSE:SEAS), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSK), and pretty soon, the Independent Film Development Corporation (OTCMKTS:IFLM). These organizations exist to keep their finger on the pulse of what makes entertainment-seeking consumers want, and it's clear from some of the programming choices and decisions these companies are making - and doing well with - that the companies who deliver the new, edgier product stand to earn the most revenue for doing so.

• [By Steve Symington]

  In addition, as fellow fool Rick Munarriz pointed out, Disney is taking a little less heat this year thanks to the fact that both�Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSK  ) Universal Orlando and�SeaWorld� (NYSE: SEAS  ) �only just finished raising prices for their own respective Florida parks.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: Texada Software Inc(TXS.V)

Texada Software Inc. provides enterprise asset management and rental management software for equipment rental companies and other organizations primarily in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It offers Systematic Rental Management System, a software package that manages rental operations from counter to customer with Web integration, complete financials and back-office, and fleet management from purchasing through maintenance to disposal; Systematic Dashboard, a business intelligence tool that delivers data on rental-specific metrics; Systematic Portal, a customer relationship management tool that allows Internet interactivity between a company and its customers; and Dynamic Reports, a tool to retrieve data, access existing reports, customize standard reports, and create new reports. The company also provides its Systematic Rental Management System in software-as-a-service model; and implementation, support, and training services for its software. Texada Software h as a strategic partnership with PROIV Technology, LLC to provide software development tools to the company. The company is headquartered in Guelph, Canada.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: JUPITER FUND MANAGEMENT PLC ORD GBP0.02 WI(JUP.L)

Jupiter Fund Management Plc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm manages mutual funds, hedge funds, client focused portfolios, and multi-manager products for its clients. It invests in the public equity markets across U.K., Europe and global emerging markets. The firm also invests in fixed income markets, fund of funds products, hedge funds, and absolute return funds. Jupiter Fund Management Plc was founded in 1985 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Top Clean Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: Outdoor Channel Holdings Inc.(OUTD)

Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an entertainment and media company in the United States. The company operates in three segments: The Outdoor Channel, Production Services, and Aerial Cameras. The Outdoor Channel segment operates Outdoor Channel, a national television network that provides traditional outdoor related lifestyle programming, and outdoorchannel.com. It focuses on various traditional outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, and shooting sports, as well as off-road motor sports and other outdoor related lifestyle programming. This segment primarily serves sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts. The Production Services segment engages in the production, development, and marketing of sports programming. This segment produces various programs for the company?s network or for third parties, including horseracing, rodeo, softball, soccer, college sports, hunting, and fishing. This segment also markets and sells media advertising and sponsorship opportunities; and offers Website development, management, marketing, and maintenance to a range of clients comprising sports leagues and corporate customers. The Aerial Cameras segment primarily provides suspended aerial camera services to media networks for inclusion in those networks? production of sporting events. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Temecula, California.