FXSTD – Alternative Energy Center

By: Ryan Moxie
My portfolio consists of a wide variety of stocks and commodity ETFs. I would like to add some uranium to my portfolio but can't afford the stocks. Is there a uranium ETF available, because I'm turning up nothing in my search. I trade online so I don't have a broker per se to consult. So how about it, does a uranium exchange traded fund exist?

I've only been able to find one option that is not necessarily a uranium ETF, but it's close. There is a nuclear ETF (ASE: NLR) managed by Market Vector that was introduced in August, 2007. The fund is based on the DAXglobal Nuclear Energy Index. 38 companies from around the world, including one in the United States makes up this index. These are companies like uranium miners, storage companies, uranium enrichment companies, nuclear plants, fuel transportation companies, and nuclear energy equipment provisions providers.

Nuclear energy was not well thought of in the past since the Chernobyl accident and the Chine Syndrome. The country is starting to warm up to nuclear, however, because of the clean energy it produces. With global warming and the concern about greenhouse gasses, coal energy is losing ground quickly.

Other countries, including Canada (the world's largest producer of uranium), offer uranium ETFs. The United States will follow in their footsteps before long, according to analysts' predictions. There is much to be made in uranium and America won't be left behind.

Stock in uranium mining is certainly widely available in America, but it is very expensive and typically only the larger investors and corporations are able to do more than just dabble in uranium stocks. In 2007 uranium futures contracts were offered by NYMEX, but again, these were not available to individual investors. Uranium ETFs are a much needed commodity for individual investors like me.

The nuclear ETF from Market Vector will have to meet our uranium ETF needs for the time being. I'm not saying that the Market Vector is a bad fund, on the contrary. Analysts advise that with the need for coal depreciating, the need for nuclear energy is about to explode, which certainly includes the need for uranium. Clean air is much to important for not only America, but around the world, and nuclear is ready to step up.

Alternative energy sources have been on the exchange traded fund market for a while now, such as solar power, wind power, and even water power is anticipated. These commodity ETFs are faring pretty well, but these energy sources aren't nearly enough to meet the energy needs of the United States. Nuclear energy is more than able to do the job.

Again, I stress, the Market Vector nuclear ETF is a good fund and should be looked into. I just want more options for my uranium ETF needs. It's time for the SPDRs, the Barclays and the Vanguards of the ETF market world to step up and give us some options. I don't like being limited in my commodity ETF choices.