How to buy Clean Energy Fuels shares (CLNE)

By:

Prash Raval

Prash is a financial writer for Invezz covering FX, the stock market and investing. For over a decade he has traded spot FX full time while... read more.

Updated: Jul 6, 2023

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In this beginners guide, we run through everything you need to know before investing in Clean Energy Fuels. We look into its history, its future prospects, and offer a step-by-step guide on how to buy shares in the company. 

Compare the best Clean Energy Fuels trading platforms

Below, our financial experts have selected some of the top-rated brokers around offering shares for Clean Energy Fuels. If you already know what you need to know about the company, click through to the links to get started. Alternatively, continue scrolling to learn more.  

Most Popular

1

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 10

Best offer

User Score

10

Up to $240 bonus!

Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank

Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

CySEC, FCA

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2

• Save

Min. Deposit

$ 0

Best offer

User Score

9.9

Get insights from millions of investors, creators, and analysts

Build your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto–all in one place

No minimum deposit

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Bank Wire, Check, Debit Card, Wire Transfer

Full Regulations:

Cryptocurrency execution and custody services are provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849) through a software licensing agreement between Apex Crypto LLC and Public Crypto LLC. Crypto trading on Public platforms is served by Public Crypto LLC and offered through APEX Crypto. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved before trading.

3

Min. Deposit

-

Best offer

User Score

9.4

Scope Markets is a regulated entity, following strictly the segregated accounts principal by offering a wide range of products together with Multi-Platform trading facilities.

Scope Markets offers one of the most comprehensive multimedia trading education libraries for traders all levels.

We commit to full transparency, excellence and continuous innovation.

Start Trading more info

Payment Methods:

Full Regulations:

How to buy Clean Energy Fuels stock, a step-by-step guide

The process of getting shares in Clean Energy Fuels isn’t massively complicated, so don’t worry even if you’re new to stock investing. These are the steps to follow in order to complete your investment:

1. Choose a broker. You will need to use an online brokerage platform. There are many different options to choose from, each with its own unique benefits and drawbacks. The comparison table above can help you select the right broker for you, and you can head to our comprehensive broker reviews if you’re still unsure.
2. Create an account. Once you’ve selected your broker, simply go to their website and create an account. The steps required for this will vary from platform to platform, but generally you can expect to have to provide your name, email address, phone number, and some form of photo identification.
3. Deposit funds. Log into your broker account and select the option to deposit funds. Depending on your broker you’ll have a variety of payment options available; most brokers accept bank transfers and debit card payments, but not all accept e-wallets such as PayPal. Select your preferred payment method and deposit the amount of money you wish to invest in Clean Energy Fuels shares.
4. Place an order for CLNE stock. Search for Clean Energy Fuels’s ticker symbol (CLNE) and see the current price at which the stock is trading. If you’re happy with the price, enter the amount of shares you wish to own and place your order.
5. Execute your order. Once you have placed your order, your broker will automatically execute it for you and your Clean Energy Fuels shares will be listed in your account. Congratulations, you’ve just bought shares in Clean Energy Fuels.

Should I invest in Clean Energy Fuels?

If you’re an investor wanting to add a renewable energy business to your portfolio, then buying shares in the company could be a good idea. It operates in a sector that’s experiencing a boom in recent times and is expected to continue growing. Buying shares in Clean Energy Fuels might be a good way to ride the current uptrend in the renewables sector.

It offers a range of products through a number of subsidiary companies, although its main source of income is producing and selling renewable natural gas (RNG). It makes RNG by capturing methane from livestock manure and landfills, before turning it into fuel for the transportation industry.  

Clean Energy Fuels pioneered RNG as a vehicle fuel in the United States and it is currently America’s largest provider of the gas for heavy duty trucks and buses. It has a network of 570 fueling stations across North America and caters to the 25,000 heavy-duty vehicles running on RNG every day.  

How has the company performed in recent years?

Very well, especially from the tail end of 2020 which saw its stock price surge over 600% when it signed a joint venture with its largest shareholder, Total S.A. The $80million deal will see the two companies develop carbon-negative renewable natural gas production facilities in the United States, while building additional RNG fueling infrastructure. 

Since having its IPO back in 2007, it has partnered with many big players in the energy sector, while also cementing deals with some of the largest companies in the world. It recently inked a five year deal with Amazon to provide RNG to the retail giant’s logistics business through 46 refueling stations. 

CLNE is also working with BP and has a joint venture with the company to finance and develop new projects at dairy farms. It’s already started work in Iowa and South Dakota, where it’s collecting methane from 30,000 cows. The partnership with BP is expected to deliver over 7 million gallons of RNG per year. 

Is it a good time to buy Clean Energy Fuels shares now?

Yes it could be, but it will depend on a number of factors, most importantly the length of time you envisage holding your shares. If you’re looking for fast gains, then CLNE is probably not the stock for you. However, if you have a long term outlook and conduct proper fundamental analysis, then buying shares in the company is probably a good idea. 

Clean Energy Fuels has a lot to support its future potential. It has signed deals with logistics companies and works with some of the biggest energy companies around. On the flip side it can be quite expensive to produce RNG and it requires farms and landfill sites to spend their own money to build infrastructure for gas extraction. 

CLNE may not be as well known as some other businesses in the renewable energy sector, but it still could make an interesting investment for long term growth. Whatever you decide to do, it’s always a good idea to keep up to date with the latest news and market analysis, which you can do so by clicking the links below. 

Buying, selling and trading Clean Energy Fuels shares for beginners

What to do before buying shares

You should always take the time to research a stock fully before investing your money, especially if you haven’t bought shares before. The more knowledge you have, the better your chances of making a wise investment. 

With that in mind, here’s a checklist to run through before you start.

1. Research the company. You should always examine the fundamentals of a company first. What is Clean Energy Fuels? How did the company get its start? How did it grow? Is Clean Energy Fuels’ revenue and profit growth picking up? Is the company innovating? The more you know about Clean Energy Fuels, the better positioned you’ll be to make smart investment decisions.
2. Make sure you understand the basics of stock investing. Before getting involved in the stock market, make sure you have an understanding of how it works. This will ensure that you have more clearly defined goals and have thought through how you will achieve them.
3. Decide between share dealing and CFD trading. Choose the type of investment strategy you want to pursue, and make sure you have carried out the necessary fundamental or technical analysis for share dealing and CFD trading respectively.
4. Set the size of your budget. The golden rule of investing is never to risk more than you can afford to lose. Not every investment you make will result in a profit, so it is important to set a budget that not only allows good potential for capital growth, but also protects against overly damaging losses.
5. Find the right broker. Individual brokers each have their own pros and cons. Some will have low fees but have a user interface you struggle to understand, whereas others may be a bit more expensive but come with a range of features that you want to take advantage of. Our broker reviews can help you find the right platform for you.
6. Examine broader market conditions. No stock exists in a vacuum, and it’s always important to analyse the general trends of the stock market as a whole before investing. If a bear market is setting in and stock prices are falling, it’s best to wait it out and invest your money later when the stock is cheaper. If, however, the market is looking bullish, you’ll want to make your investment quickly to get the maximum benefit from rising stock prices. Our news section can help you keep on top of movements in the financial markets.

What is the difference between buying, selling, and trading shares?

If you’re new to stock investing, then it’s important to understand the basics of how to buy, sell, and trade Clean Energy Fuels shares. Here’s a quick run-through of what’s involved in each.

Buying Clean Energy Fuels

This process involves finding a broker and placing an order for Clean Energy Fuels stock, as outlined in the steps further up this page. Ideally you want to time your investment when the stock’s price is low so that you can profit by selling the shares after they increase in value.

Selling Clean Energy Fuels

When you sell any Clean Energy Fuels shares you have bought, you’ll want to do so at a higher price than the one at which you bought to earn a profit. 

When you sell is up to you. You might decide to hold for a long period of time, hoping to benefit from the company growing steadily throughout. Or, if you see that Clean Energy Fuels’s stock is already up a lot compared to the price you bought it and you’ve noticed that the stock market is starting to fall, it might make sense to sell and take your profits to invest elsewhere. Equally, if the stock has fallen since you bought it and looks set to fall further, it might be a good idea to cut your losses by selling your shares.

Trading Clean Energy Fuels

Trading is the same process, it’s just done over shorter periods of time with the aim to make small profits on a regular basis. This means that you can make money faster and spend your profits in your day-to-day life – however, on the other side it means you can lose money faster as well. For inexperienced investors, we generally recommend making investments for at least 6 months to a year instead of making trades in quick succession.

You can trade Clean Energy Fuels shares through buying and selling shares, or by trading with CFDs. These allow investors to speculate on stock prices and trade with leverage in pursuit of bigger gains. CFDs trading is explained further in the next section, but it is worth noting that beginners should avoid trading with leverage. It comes with large risks and is best left to experienced investors.

Share dealing vs CFD trading

When it comes to investing in any stock, the two options you have are share dealing and trading. Which one of these methods to opt for largely depends on your investment timeline, with investors thinking long term tending to go for share dealing, and those looking for short term gains pursuing a more aggressive trading strategy.

Here’s a quick summary of the two approaches, and the pros and cons of each.

Share dealing 

Share dealing refers to the practice of buying and holding shares in a particular company over the long term. When investing like this, you’re seeking to profit either from dividend payments or an increase in the stock’s price over time.

When investing your money this way, it is important to do a thorough fundamental analysis of the company in which you are investing. You want to put your money in a stock you believe will trend upwards over time, even if there is some market volatility along the way, rather than get distracted by shorter-term peaks and troughs.

Pros

• Can build wealth over time to achieve financial goals
• Don’t need to be very reactive to short-term market movements
• Some stocks will give you an income through regular dividend payments

Cons

• Takes a long time to realise any profits
• Your capital is tied up in stocks and cannot be used for other investments

CFD Trading 

If your aim is to generate profits in the short term, then you might be better off trading shares than holding them in your portfolio. Stock trades like this are executed using CFDs (contracts for difference), which allow investors to trade against the value of a stock without having to take ownership of it. When CFD trading, investors are looking to buy and sell stocks fast to profit from short-term fluctuations in value.

One aspect of CFD trading that many investors find attractive is that they allow you to trade with leverage. This means you can place large trades while only putting up a fraction of the value yourself – for instance, if a platform offered leverage of 1:10, you could put £10 into CLNE shares and be able to trade £100 worth. This can maximise profits if the market moves in your favour, but be careful as it can also lead to heavy losses.

When trading using CFDs, it is key to be skilled at technical analysis and reading stock price charts. As you’re trading stocks quickly and frequently, the fundamental strength of the company in which you’re investing isn’t as important as being able to predict how its stock price will rise and fall minute-by-minute.

Pros

• Can generate fast profits if you read the market right 
• Some platforms allow you to trade with leverage
• Prevents your capital being tied up so you can take advantage of investment opportunities

Cons

• Trading with leverage is risky and can lead to big losses
• Doesn’t necessarily generate growth over the long term

Consider which approach suits you best and craft an investment strategy that works for you. If you need more information, then simply take our course on how to trade stocks.

How to choose a broker

With the wide variety of online brokers available these days, it can be hard to figure out which is the best service to go with. Our comparison table and in-depth reviews can help you cut through the noise, but by and large these are the aspects you should be considering when selecting a broker:

• Range of stocks available. The most important thing is that you can actually use the broker to find the shares you’re looking for. Some brokers offer more stocks than others, and many will allow you to trade other assets, such as forex and commodities.
• Fees and commissions. You want to keep as large a chunk of your profits as you can, so it’s important to make sure your broker doesn’t charge high fees that can eat into your profits.
• Regulation. You should only use regulated brokers. Unregulated brokers can be risky and offer little to no protection if the business were to fail while you had funds in your account.
• Payment methods available. You might want to fund your trading account using a specific payment method, such as PayPal. Not all brokers accept every payment method, but using our comparisons you can search only the brokers that support the option you’re looking for.
• Reputation. One of the strongest indicators of a broker’s reliability is the reputation it has with the customers who have used it. Brokers are online businesses, and as such many user experiences can be found online. You can check these out in addition to our reviews to make sure you choose the right platform.
• Customer service. As you’re going to be investing your money using the platform, you want to check that the broker offers good customer service in case you have a query or something goes wrong.