As 2011 comes to a close, it's a great time to look back at what happened to the stocks that interest you. By making sure you know the important things that a company accomplished -- as well as the setbacks it experienced -- you can make a better decision about whether it's a smart investment for your portfolio.
Today, let's take a look at Rentech
Stats on Rentech
Year-to-Date Stock Return | 29.5% |
Market Cap | $352.9 million |
Revenue, Trailing 12 Months | $175.2 million |
1-Year Revenue Growth | 42.9% |
1-Year Profit Growth | NM (loss of $14.2 million over past 12 months) |
CAPS Rating | ** |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. NM = not meaningful.
What happened with Rentech this year?
Rentech is on the ground floor of what could become the next big energy trend: alternative biofuels. Companies including Rentech, Solazyme
But in reality, Rentech makes much more of its money from nitrogen-based fertilizer. With crop prices at high levels, fertilizer companies like Terra Nitrogen
That may be why Rentech decided to do a partial spinoff of its nitrogen fertilizer business. Rentech still owns 60% of Rentech Nitrogen Partners
Of course, other alternative-energy plays have started out looking promising but eventually fizzled out. Rentech's big threat is that it may not be able to find cost-effective inputs for its manufacturing process. But if it can beat that challenge, the stock may continue its strong performance into the future.
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