Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Can I get your opinion on Comverge on Nasdaq? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Comverge Inc., $5.27, symbol COMV on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 22 million; Market cap: $115.9 million) sells software and hardware that helps utilities, homeowners and businesses manage power demand. Lately, Comverge has taken this one step further by directly managing energy demand for utilities. Services now make up 83% of Comverge’s revenue. Comverge was founded in 1997, and first sold shares to the public at $18 each in April 2007. Comverge operates in three units: 1) The residential business division, which makes up 73% of Comverge’s revenue, sells peak-capacity control programs to utilities. In essence, Comverge pays homeowners to install “smart meters,” which allow the company to remotely control appliances that use a lot of electricity, like air conditioners, water heaters and pool pumps. Comverge then reduces the power these devices consume during periods of peak energy demand and redirects the saved power to utilities that need it. 2) The utility products and services division, which accounts for about 20% of…