Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE)

Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE) is the pioneer in providing natural gas for fleet vehicles. The firm was founded by Boone Pickens who has rebounded nicely in recent years (from the Rainwater/Whitworth/Batchelder takeover of Mesa) to place number 103 on Forbes' latest list of billionaires.

Does this guy know how to make money? Hint: he started Mesa with a bachelors degree in geology and $2,500. His net worth is now somewhere north of $3 billion. He doesn't have an MBA but you can get an MBA from the T. Boone Pickens School of Business at the West Texas A&M University.

And does anybody know more about energy than Boone Pickens? None of the major networks must believe so because BP is always their first choice for an opinion on energy issues.

Don’t be scared off by the pricing ($1 below range). Insiders are standing pat and waiting to sell off when the price goes up. This one may actually have that first week pop IPOHome players are always looking for. But pop or no pop, don’t bet against Boone Pickens. Mid to long-term, Clean Energy is a winner.

Largest supplier of natural gas stations. As the country shifts to natural gas for its autos(and it will) this company will be in the forefront to set up service stations across the country. T.Boone Pickens a large stockholder.

Surprised by the esteem with which CLNE is held at CAPS. Pickens and Pelosi and "clean energy" plays understood. But mgmt is gambling big with government subsidy business model. Really needs lots of cash to continue to grow and the stock price is dependent on rapid growth - I don't believe the actual growth prospects map to growth expectations that bulls assign to the company.

CLNE's last capital raise involved tremendous dilution to investors, and that was before the crashes of late 2008 and their impact on businesses seeking capital. CLNE needs to raise cash in the very near term (or not grow and become a business valued an order magnitude below its curent market cap), and I expect, if CLNE is able to raise cash, it will be at a tremendously dilutive cost to current investors (with another unit offering consisting of shares at a discount to market and warrants with significant price protection). Huge current overhang of stock-equivalnets if the stock recovers significantly; I believe that overhang will be materially increased in the next capital raise.

But the board and mgmt are very well paid (equity and cash)! Particualrly Pickens who gets large equity grants for service ('cause his majority ownership interest apparently doesn't provide enough incentive to devote attention to the business). I believe serious pain for current shareholders looms.

Disclosure: No current real money position, but I keep looking for opportunities to take an effective short position. Neither shorting outright nor option plays present themselves to those unwilling to take on very significant positions and risk, and to commit significant capital.

If you are betting on this company you are making a bet on "big government". CLNE can't turn a profit without massive government handouts, land grabs, and regulations. Look at the contracts that the company has gotten so far. By and large they are all government contracts. What does this mean? Well it means that if you are a business with a big heart and limitless funds you can invest in Natural Gas vehicles. Only government (which doesn't have to worry about proftis) can buy into something that has no economic return value. There has been no value for private companies to buy into the technology because it doesn't increase financial returns. The public is in no mood for any new company government subsidies at a time that oil is plummeting and the new technologies are unproven. Pickens is a man that is in business for himself and himself only, not his stockholders. His commercials are a sham. He pretends to be in business to help the country when we all know that is entire life has revolved around building up the countries and industry which he now pretends to be against. If he doesn't get the government subsidies he needs he will high take himself, and his investments right out of the company before any investors know what hit them. CLNE is leveraged on Natural Gas technologies, and wind farms. Windfarms?? Windfarms cost more to produce than they ever produce in actual energy. Everybody wants them as long as they don't have to ever see them. Natural gas is competing with electric cars, hydrogen technology, ethanol, etc... Will they win? Depends on government subsidies. I would never make an investment that is dependent on government involvement in ANYTHING. He is pressuring the government very hard with his repetitive commercials, and hounding to give him taxpayer money to fund his investment. He is a billionaire. If he believes in his company he should put his money in it. Not mine. Capatalism means surviving or failing on your own without the government. Just reading a headline that mentions CLNE as "a Hot Stock" tells you you should probably sell it. If your veternarian is telling you to buy CLNE it is time to sell, sell, sell...

Natural gas is Americas most abundent, natural fuel. T-Boone pickens is pusing the heck out of it, in my home state of Pennsylvania they are drilling like crazy and making millionares over night from land rights. AT&T just switched 8,000 cars to natural gas. It seems like CLNE signs or re-signs a new contract atleast once a month. Whats not to like, besides current oil prices but guess what they will rise again too!

Boone Pickens is not a stupid man. If he's in, you better believe these guys will be accountable.

CLNE hasn't posted a quarterly profit in three years, so any investment here is purely speculative. The two theses I can see for speculating in this stock is a recovery in oil prices or spending by the new administration. Neither thesis is a terribly good reason to buy this stock.

A recovery in the price of oil, which I do think is likely, will help this stock eventually, but CLNE will lag behind the companies that actually directly profit from increased oil prices. In other words, if you want to bet on a bull market in oil, buy an oil stock! Better yet, since CLNE is a bet on demand for natural gas, buy a company with good gas exposure, like XTO or COP, both of which are on sale right now.

If you're betting on government money, good luck, because you're gambling. There's no way of telling just what company will profit. Congress doles out money in a completely arbitrary and capricious manner that follows no real economic principal. Trying to game what 535 people cloistered in Washington feel like throwing money at is a good way to lose your money. If you really want to play with that, place a "field bet" by buying a larger company with a bigger exposure to the things Congress will likely be spending our money on.

Finally, even CLNE does profit from government largess, it will be quite some time before this stock feels it. Do yourself a favor and buy a company that's actually making money. There are plenty that are dirt cheap right now.

natural gas provides an abundaNT, AVAILABLE alternative to traditional fuel sources. This Boone Pickens favorite is on the cutting edge of natural gas as a fuel source.

company vehicle fleets will switch to natural gas as lower than diesel

T.Boone pickens company. Don't really need to say much more than that. This company is destined for greatness and is trading well below what it will be in the next few years. Big growth here.

check out the nunber of companies that are signing new contracts to convert there fleets over to compressed natureal gas vehicles. Note that these will all be repeat sales businesses on a month/month basis, ie. once a vehilce is converted to NG, it will continue to use NG..
i look for a very high world wide growth for this company for several years to come.

Boone Pickens is behind this company. He plays to win. It's an energy play that's designed to reduce big city pollution and save city governments money. It's a niche play. The company has a head start and will never look back.

It's cheap now, stock up! T. Boone Pickens' natural gas company. The Speaker of the House is a big shareholder. A great long-term play.

Home produced nat gas being used in fleet vehicles. Cuts down on pollution and importing oil from our enemies. Burns cleaner, quieter and more economical than deisel. For a great game changer stock check this one out.

New IPO with great management, a company which is in a nitch market and expanding into a global market which is growing.

Technically this stock looks like it is about to fall. I'm going long because Nancy Pelosi and her husband own most of this company and you can bet that she will make sure that bills are written in her favor and that this company will be awarded contracts.

Alternative energy company that specialized in natural gas vehicles/ fleets. Initially flat at its IPO which was also at the lower end of expected.

Natural gas abundant, clean burning, and cheap. Much better than corn ethanol and USA will soon come to realize this. Honda already makes natural gas car for sale in some states. They fill up on NG overnight in the garage, but filling stations needed for longer drives.

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