t's encouraging to read reports such as Newsweek's annual review of the "greenest" companies. It's uplifting to learn which companies are taking environmental sustainability seriously. It's also exciting to see that green companies can boost your portfolio as well as your spirits: The top 100 companies from Newsweek's 2009 list outperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 7% in the following year. Here's a thought, though: Maybe the companies at the bottom of the list have a lot to offer, too.
There's a lot to love about the companies at the top. Intel
Bottoms up
That's what has me looking at companies on the bottom of Newsweek's list with some interest. To a great degree, they're not making the most of their green possibilities. But they can. And when they do, they can reap considerable savings, boosting their profitability and rewarding their shareholders in the process.
Many of the companies near the bottom of the list are resource-heavy, which can make going green harder than it is for less capital-intensive outfits. Cliff Natural Resources
But Alcoa
There's big money to be saved through environmental initiatives such as energy efficiency. Dow Chemical
Interested investors may want to see how much untapped conservation potential their companies have and to watch for them tapping it. Better still, let your companies know what you'd like to see them doing. Inform them that responsibility won't wreck their returns.
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