Recent story in USA Today

USA Today just did a great study of stimulus funding into different companies, and the news, despite some set backs, was pretty good.

Here's the headline: Stimulus funds helped some stocks soar


Opening paragraph: "As Congress and the White House launch investigations into renewable-energy loan guarantees made to companies such as Solyndra under the 2009 stimulus bill and related legislation, a USA TODAY analysis shows that a series of public companies that got help have soundly beaten the stock market and most venture-capital funds raised in 2008."

Even more impressive, and encouraging as far as the government's investment and growing ROI coming from these companies, is this chart:

'Stimulus' stocks in USA TODAY's analysis

The companies below were major beneficiaries of a $100 billion pot of federal money to stimulate emerging technology industries, targeted by the 2009 stimulus bill and related legislation. Stocks in most of the targeted sectors, including smart grids and electronic medical records, have outperformed the broader stock market. This chart compares their stock prices on President Obama's inauguration day, or the date of a company's initial public stock offering, and on Nov. 18. Companies listed without stock trading information have filed for IPOs but have not yet begun trading.

Category Company Symbol 1/20/2009 or IPO Date 11/18/2011 Change

Energy efficiency Comverge COMV $4 $1.42 -65%

Energy efficiency Enernoc ENOC $8.23 $9.76 19%

Energy efficiency Honeywell HON $29.04 $52.75 82%

Energy efficiency Johnson Controls JCI $13.98 $29.76 113%

Smart Grid Accenture ACN $30.09 $55.1 83%

Smart Grid Cooper Industries CBE $25.95 $52.14 101%

Smart Grid Cisco Systems CSCO $14.84 $18.42 24%

Smart Grid Esco ESE $35.10 $27.75 -21%

Smart Grid Echelon ELON $6.92 $5.49 -21%

Smart Grid General Electric GE $11.68 $15.65 34%

Smart Grid IBM IBM $77.87 $185.24 138%

Smart Grid Itron ITRI $58 $35.01 -40%

Smart Grid Oracle ORCL $15.74 $30.60 94

Electronic Medical Records Accenture ACN $30.09 $55.10 83%

Electronic Medical Records Athenahealth ATHN $33.84 $52.61 55%

Electronic Medical Records Cerner CERN $19.68 $57.95 194%

Electronic Medical Records Computer Programs & Systems CPSI $22.17 $45.35 105%

Electronic Medical Records Dell DELL $9.85 $14.91 51%

Electronic Medical Records General Electric GE $11.68 $15.65 34%

Electronic Medical Records McKesson MCK $39.09 $80.01 105%

Electronic Medical Records Allscripts Healthcare Solutions MDRX $8.18 $19.14 134%

Electronic Medical Records Quality Systems QSII $37.20 $36.25 -3%

Electronic Medical Records Siemens AG SI $49.55 $97.04 96%

Electronic Medical Records UnitedHealth Group UNH $23.61 $44.55 89%

Green Cars Ford F $2.13 $10.10 374%

Green Cars Nissan NSANY $6.93 $17.44 152%

Green Cars Tesla* TSLA $7.53 $32.60 333%

Renewables A123 Systems AONE $13.50 $2.32 -83

Renewables Beacon Power BCON.PK $3.70 $0.08 -98%

Renewables First Solar FSLR $137.76 $45.44 -67%

Renewables Satcon Technology SATC $1.46 $0.78 -47%

Renewables Sunpower SPWR $30.85 $6.87 -78%

Stimulus-related IPO Ameresco AMRC $10 $11.07 11%

Stimulus-related IPO Amyris AMRS $16 $11.70 -27%

Stimulus-related IPO A123 Systems AONE $13.50 $2.32 -83%

Stimulus-related IPO Calix CALX $13 $8.41 -35%

Stimulus-related IPO Kior KIOR $15 $15.21 1%

Stimulus-related IPO Neophotonics NPTN $11 $4.43 -60%

Stimulus-related IPO Smart Technologies SMT $17 $4.92 -71%

Stimulus-related IPO Solazyme SZYM $18 $11.61 -36%

Stimulus-related IPO Tesla Motors* TSLA $17 $32.60 92%

Pending IPO BrightSource Energy

Pending IPO Ceres

Pending IPO Elevance Renewable Sciences

Pending IPO Fulcrum Bioenergy

Pending IPO Genomatica

Pending IPO Greenway Technologies

Pending IPO Myriant

Pending IPO Silver Spring Networks

Pending IPO Vocera

* = Tesla's initial valuation of $7.53 a share is derived from the round of venture capital raised closest to when it received its federal loan guarantee. It went public at $17 a share.
Source: International Data Corp., USA TODAY research

From a business side of green, a pretty encouraging report. We love seeing Telsa growing.

Enjoy a great holiday and weekend.