IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i12p3406-d571806.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is It Possible to Make Money on Investing in Companies Manufacturing Solar Components? A Panel Data Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak

    (Department of Operations Research and Business Intelligence, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Anna Skowrońska-Szmer

    (Department of Operations Research and Business Intelligence, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Jan Jakub Szczygielski

    (Department of Finance, Kozminski University, 03-301 Warsaw, Poland
    Department of Financial Management, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa)

Abstract

In the interests of the environment, many countries set limits on the use of non-renewable energy sources and promote renewable energy sources through policy and legislation. Consequently, the demand for components for renewable energy systems exhibits an upward trend. For this reason, managers, investors, and banks are interested in knowing whether investing in a business associated with the semiconductor and related device manufacturing sector, especially the photovoltaic (PV) systems manufacturers, is worthy of a penny. Using a sample for the period of 2015–2018, we apply a new approach to panel data, extending existing research using Classification Trees with the k-Nearest Neighbor and Altman model. Our aim is to analyze the financial conditions of enterprises to identify key indicators that distinguish companies producing PV system components (labeled “green, G”) from companies that do not manufacture PV components (“red, R”). Our results show that green companies can be distinguished from red companies at classification accuracies of 86% and 90% for CRT and CHAID algorithms in Classification Trees method and 93% for k-Nearest Neighbor method, respectively. Based on the Altman model and the analysis of crucial ratios, we also find that green businesses are characterized by lower financial performance although future ratio values may equal or exceed the values for the red companies if current upward trends are sustained. Therefore, investing in green companies presents a viable alternative.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak & Anna Skowrońska-Szmer & Jan Jakub Szczygielski, 2021. "Is It Possible to Make Money on Investing in Companies Manufacturing Solar Components? A Panel Data Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:12:p:3406-:d:571806
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/12/3406/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/12/3406/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maryniak, Paweł & Trück, Stefan & Weron, Rafał, 2019. "Carbon pricing and electricity markets — The case of the Australian Clean Energy Bill," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 45-58.
    2. Jamasb, Tooraj & Pollitt, Michael & Triebs, Thomas, 2008. "Productivity and efficiency of US gas transmission companies: A European regulatory perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 3398-3412, September.
    3. Solangi, K.H. & Islam, M.R. & Saidur, R. & Rahim, N.A. & Fayaz, H., 2011. "A review on global solar energy policy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 2149-2163, May.
    4. Polzin, Friedemann & Migendt, Michael & Täube, Florian A. & von Flotow, Paschen, 2015. "Public policy influence on renewable energy investments—A panel data study across OECD countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 98-111.
    5. Managi, Shunsuke & Okimoto, Tatsuyoshi, 2013. "Does the price of oil interact with clean energy prices in the stock market?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 1-9.
    6. Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak, 2019. "Comparison of the Financial Standing of Companies Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources and Fossil Fuels: A New Hybrid Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Clarkson, Peter M. & Li, Yue & Richardson, Gordon D. & Vasvari, Florin P., 2011. "Does it really pay to be green? Determinants and consequences of proactive environmental strategies," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 122-144, March.
    8. Dragos Paun, 2017. "Sustainability and Financial Performance of Companies in the Energy Sector in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-11, September.
    9. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Goto, Mika, 2009. "Can environmental investment and expenditure enhance financial performance of US electric utility firms under the clean air act amendment of 1990?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4819-4826, November.
    10. Aparicio, Sebastian & Urbano, David & Audretsch, David, 2016. "Institutional factors, opportunity entrepreneurship and economic growth: Panel data evidence," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 45-61.
    11. Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 2008. "Oil prices and the stock prices of alternative energy companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 998-1010, May.
    12. Doumpos, Michalis & Andriosopoulos, Kostas & Galariotis, Emilios & Makridou, Georgia & Zopounidis, Constantin, 2017. "Corporate failure prediction in the European energy sector: A multicriteria approach and the effect of country characteristics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(1), pages 347-360.
    13. Inchauspe, Julian & Ripple, Ronald D. & Trück, Stefan, 2015. "The dynamics of returns on renewable energy companies: A state-space approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 325-335.
    14. Bobinaite, Viktorija, 2015. "Financial sustainability of wind electricity sectors in the Baltic States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 794-815.
    15. Halkos, George E. & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2012. "Analyzing the Greek renewable energy sector: A Data Envelopment Analysis approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2884-2893.
    16. Bohl, Martin T. & Kaufmann, Philipp & Stephan, Patrick M., 2013. "From hero to zero: Evidence of performance reversal and speculative bubbles in German renewable energy stocks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 40-51.
    17. Özgür Arslan-Ayaydin & James Thewissen, 2016. "The financial reward for environmental performance in the energy sector," Energy & Environment, , vol. 27(3-4), pages 389-413, May.
    18. Stefan Trück & Rafał Weron, 2016. "Convenience Yields and Risk Premiums in the EU‐ETS—Evidence from the Kyoto Commitment Period," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(6), pages 587-611, June.
    19. G. V. Kass, 1980. "An Exploratory Technique for Investigating Large Quantities of Categorical Data," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 29(2), pages 119-127, June.
    20. Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak & Anna Skowrońska-Szmer & Jan Jakub Szczygielski, 2020. "Is Investing in Companies Manufacturing Solar Components a Lucrative Business? A Decision Tree Based Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-27, January.
    21. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Goto, Mika, 2012. "Data envelopment analysis for environmental assessment: Comparison between public and private ownership in petroleum industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(3), pages 668-678.
    22. Kumar, Surender & Managi, Shunsuke & Matsuda, Akimi, 2012. "Stock prices of clean energy firms, oil and carbon markets: A vector autoregressive analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 215-226.
    23. Horbach, Jens, 2008. "Determinants of environmental innovation--New evidence from German panel data sources," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 163-173, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Senthilarasu Sundaram & Manosh C. Paul & Yasser Mahmoudi, 2022. "Research on Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-3, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak & Anna Skowrońska-Szmer & Jan Jakub Szczygielski, 2020. "Is Investing in Companies Manufacturing Solar Components a Lucrative Business? A Decision Tree Based Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-27, January.
    2. Sebastian Klaudiusz Tomczak, 2019. "Comparison of the Financial Standing of Companies Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources and Fossil Fuels: A New Hybrid Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    3. Uddin, Gazi Salah & Rahman, Md Lutfur & Hedström, Axel & Ahmed, Ali, 2019. "Cross-quantilogram-based correlation and dependence between renewable energy stock and other asset classes," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 743-759.
    4. Zhang, Guofu & Du, Ziping, 2017. "Co-movements among the stock prices of new energy, high-technology and fossil fuel companies in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 249-256.
    5. Niu, Hongli, 2021. "Correlations between crude oil and stocks prices of renewable energy and technology companies: A multiscale time-dependent analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    6. Gbenga Ibikunle & Tom Steffen, 2017. "European Green Mutual Fund Performance: A Comparative Analysis with their Conventional and Black Peers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 337-355, October.
    7. Ansaram, Karishma & Petitjean, Mikael, 2024. "A global perspective on the nexus between energy and stock markets in light of the rise of renewable energy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Shah, Imran Hussain & Hiles, Charlie & Morley, Bruce, 2018. "How do oil prices, macroeconomic factors and policies affect the market for renewable energy?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 87-97.
    9. He, Xiaojuan & Mishra, Shekhar & Aman, Ameenullah & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Razzaq, Asif & Sharif, Arshian, 2021. "The linkage between clean energy stocks and the fluctuations in oil price and financial stress in the US and Europe? Evidence from QARDL approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    10. Ahmad, Wasim & Sadorsky, Perry & Sharma, Amit, 2018. "Optimal hedge ratios for clean energy equities," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 278-295.
    11. Mihail Busu & Alexandra Catalina Nedelcu, 2017. "Sustainability and Economic Performance of the Companies in the Renewable Energy Sector in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Hemrit, Wael & Benlagha, Noureddine, 2021. "Does renewable energy index respond to the pandemic uncertainty?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 336-347.
    13. Gargallo, Pilar & Lample, Luis & Miguel, Jesús A. & Salvador, Manuel, 2024. "Sequential management of energy and low-carbon portfolios," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    14. Kocaarslan, Baris & Soytas, Ugur, 2019. "Dynamic correlations between oil prices and the stock prices of clean energy and technology firms: The role of reserve currency (US dollar)," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    15. Inchauspe, Julian & Ripple, Ronald D. & Trück, Stefan, 2015. "The dynamics of returns on renewable energy companies: A state-space approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 325-335.
    16. Shah, Adil Ahmad & Sahay, Arvind, 2024. "Is gold a preferable diversifier of cleaner equity risk across diverse scenarios? Evidence from multidimensional connectedness and spillover measures," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 305(C).
    17. Asl, Mahdi Ghaemi & Canarella, Giorgio & Miller, Stephen M., 2021. "Dynamic asymmetric optimal portfolio allocation between energy stocks and energy commodities: Evidence from clean energy and oil and gas companies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    18. Dragos Paun, 2017. "Sustainability and Financial Performance of Companies in the Energy Sector in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-11, September.
    19. Maghyereh, Aktham I. & Awartani, Basel & Abdoh, Hussein, 2019. "The co-movement between oil and clean energy stocks: A wavelet-based analysis of horizon associations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 895-913.
    20. Matteo Foglia & Eliana Angelini, 2020. "Volatility Connectedness between Clean Energy Firms and Crude Oil in the COVID-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-22, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:12:p:3406-:d:571806. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.