Wave power - the harnessing of the movements of the oceans as a source of renewable energy - is not on the radar screens of most investors. Even those investors who take a particular interest in green technology will generally know vastly more about solar, wind and geothermal than about wave or tidal power.

So this month's announcement from Spanish company Iberdrola Renovables that it has deployed the first buoy of its pilot wave power plant might go a little way to drawing some investor attention to the great potential of this technology.

Two companies from down under, ResMed (RMD) and Fisher and Paykel Heathcare (FSPKF.PK), are among the leaders in supplying the expanding market for CPAP equipment for sleep apnea sufferers. Both companies have excellent growth prospects and both stocks are recommended.

In particular, with their main manufacturing facilities in Australia (ResMed) and New Zealand (Fisher and Paykel), and their primary sales market the US, both companies stand to be significant beneficiaries of recent dollar strength.

Veolia Environnement (VE) is a global leader in the provision of water infrastructure. It is a massive company, with revenues in 2007 of 32.6 billion euros (about $48 billion) and an after-tax profit of 927.9 million euros ($1.37 billion). It achieved good growth in its June 2008 half-year results, and expects its profits to grow for the full year.

However, the shares have been dismal performers this year, with the company's business hit especially hard by currency movements and the higher oil price. Could one incentive for them be the company's involvement in China? This short article is an attempt to discern - from the meager amount of information that Veolia will release - just what impact its Chinese operations are having on the company's overall business.

Monitoring changes in indices can be a winning investment strategy. Companies entering an index, especially some of the smaller company indices, have usually grown to a certain size which means the market is starting to notice them. Entry to an index means further exposure. And funds based on those indices will generally be required to buy the stock. It is all good for the share price.

On September 22nd, 2008, six new securities will enter the NASDAQ Clean Edge US Liquid Series Index (CELS), an index of companies involved in emerging clean-energy technologies, following its semi-annual evaluation.

News this month that Australian geothermal hot rock specialist Geodynamics (GDYMF.PK) has attracted India's Tata Power as a new cornerstone investor is further evidence of the encouraging progress being made by Geodynamics in its quest to develop a new resource of low-cost, renewable, zero-emission power.

Tata Power, India's largest private utility, is a flagship company of the giant Tata group. It is to acquire an 11.4% stake in Geodynamics, and will take one seat on the board of directors.

Australian company Sims Group (SMS), the world’s largest publicly listed scrap metal recycler - thanks to its $1.85-billion acquisition in March this year of US metals recycler Metal Management - has announced spectacular profit growth in its 2007-08 year, ending June 2008.

Profits jumped 70% on a 38% rise in sales revenues. In part this reflected the Metal Management acquisition, but the more important reason was surging scrap metal prices. The company declared a special dividend and it is forecasting another strong year, on the back of continuing Chinese demand.