Solar ETFs moved into focus Friday after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs targeting imported products made from polysilicon, a key material used in solar panel manufacturing. The tariffs could give U.S.
Recent headlines about slowing AI spending and volatile tech stocks miss a bigger story. The U.S. power grid isn't ready for what's coming.
The ALPS Clean Energy ETF offers diversified exposure to North American clean energy companies, tracking the CIBC Atlas Clean Energy Index. ACES aligns with the long-term global energy transition theme but has underperformed the S&P 500, with a five-year total return of -57%. Short-term risk-return metrics for ACES are unattractive, evidenced by a three-year Sharpe Ratio of -0.20, despite a recent 17.32% surge in May 2026.
Artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, a fractured energy security picture, and a wave of electrification are converging into a supercycle for clean energy infrastructure. That's according to executives from SS&C ALPS Advisors and CIBC Private Wealth.
While volatile oil prices have taken much of the spotlight in the energy sector this year, increasing global energy security concerns amid geopolitical tensions, soaring data center energy demand, and substantial international investment have propelled clean energy ETF gains in 2026.
On a year-to-date basis, clean energy equities and the related ETFs have delivered solid returns, but recent price action has left something to be desired.
Markets have treated AI as a gold rush of LLMs, chips and cloud applications, but as the industry shifts from chatbots to agentic systems — AI that autonomously runs workflows and makes decisions — hyperscalers are now facing a brutal physical bottleneck.
ACES hits a 52-week high, surging about 77% from its low as rising oil prices and energy security fears boost clean energy momentum.
Roughly four and a half months into 2026, it's widely known that the energy sector is the best-performing group in the S&P 500. The war in Iran is playing a big part in that movie, as higher oil prices are propelling an array of fossil fuels stocks.
While 2025 was dominated by GPU makers and semiconductor stocks, 2026 is revealing a different infrastructure challenge: AI data centers require massive, reliable, 24/7 power that the current U.S. grid is unprepared to deliver, according to ALPS Q2 2026 Market Themes to Watch.
Experienced traders have seen this movie before. When oil prices surge, clean and renewable energy equities often follow suit.
Artificial intelligence infrastructure investing requires looking beyond semiconductors to the physical systems powering the digital revolution, according to Paul Baiocchi, head of fund strategy at SS&C ALPS Advisors. In an interview at the Exchange conference in Las Vegas, Baiocchi outlined a mosaic approach using three funds to capture different layers of infrastructure growth.