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Earnings provide investors with a distraction from the election

Earnings provide investors with a distraction from the election

Earnings season is in full swing for U.S. equities, with corporate profits sharing the spotlight with election coverage. 

Both General Motors GM and Tesla TSLA provided bullish guidance for electric vehicle demand strength and profitability, boosting green stocks generally. 

Meanwhile, a slew of key announcements in the coming days should provide investors with a clearer insight into the future of renewable energy industries. 

First Solar FSLR will report results for the third quarter on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. EST with consensus forecasts for the company to meet guidance at $3.10 per share versus $2.50 during the same period last year. 

First Solar’s stock has risen by almost 20% for the year, but, like the entire solar sector, its trading has been highly correlated to election expectations. Share prices for the company are now down sharply from highs reached over the summer following the ascendance of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate. 

Among the most anticipated upcoming announcements is Constellation Energy CEG , scheduled to report third quarter results on Monday at 10 a.m. EST. 

Constellation is expected to affirm earlier guidance for the year. But the primary focus for investors will be discussion of nuclear energy demand going forward. A new deal with Microsoft to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania garnered headlines in September as a key point of discussion for management, while updates on the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station nuclear plant in Texas acquired last year are also expected to figure prominently. 

Despite uncertainties facing impact investors over the election and the potential fallout for clean energy demand, the market mood appears to remain positive. 

In a note issued Friday, UBS analyst Shneur Gershuni reiterated support for the renewable energy sector. Gershuni said media narratives focused on investors abandoning renewables in favor of fossil fuels bets are a distraction. His team remains bullish on clean energy because of what they view as “an unrelenting demand shock for power driven by AI Data Centers and Hyperscaler desire for Low Carbon sources.” 

Exchange-traded fund (ETF) data last week suggests that investors share this bullish sentiment, with ESG/Renewable equity ETFs realizing net inflows of over $200 million. According to Bloomberg data, this brings total capital inflows to more than $2.5 billion for the year-to-date as allocator commitment continues to rebound from the first half of last year. 

More stories we’re tracking at Equities:

Sceye and NASA partner to track climate-related threats

An exclusive report by Reuters detailed a new partnership between aerospace startup Sceye, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor storms, wildfires and other climate-related risks from near space using Sceye’s solar-powered aircrafts. In September, Sceye placed a Series C funding round at a pre-money valuation of $525 million. The lead investor for this capital raise was Mawarid Holding Company, a Saudi corporation. 

COP16 enters second week with little progress to report

The second week of the United Nation’s COP16 Convention on Biological Diversity began in Cali, Colombia on Monday. Reports have portrayed a stalemate with nations declining to commit significant resources amid increased political uncertainty among major economies. The convention is part of U.N. efforts laid out in the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. High attendance levels at COP16 also caught Cali officials off guard — leading to unusual accommodations for visiting officials

Green Climate Fund announces new investments

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) announced $1 billion in commitments to new projects following a board meeting last week. The commitment will bring the fund’s tidal assets to more than $16 billion over more than 280 projects. GCF was created within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The U.S. committed $3 billion to the fund while former President Donald Trump criticized it, and is expected to withdraw from the initiative if elected to a second term. 

Read more: Facing climate headwinds, Wall Street soldiers on

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