FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
NEW YORK, May 1, 2007 – On May 2, 2007, Jefferies & Company, Inc., the principal operating subsidiary of Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF), will welcome more than 500 registered attendees to its 3rd Global Clean Technology Conference, in New York City.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council and President of the Waterkeeper Alliance, will keynote the conference. The conference comes on the heels of a strong first quarter for the clean technology sector, as the Jefferies Global Clean Technology Index SM (JEFICTCP) rose by more than 21 percent, significantly outperforming global equity markets.
Nearly fifty companies from around the globe, representing technologies including solar power, wind power, fuel cells, advanced batteries, microturbines, energy demand response management, energy infrastructure, biofuels, biomaterials and hydrogen generation, will be showcased at the conference. Participating companies include Ballard Power Systems, Inc., Dow Chemical Company, Fuel Tech, Inc., General Electric Company, Metabolix, Inc., Renewable Energy Corporation ASA, Siemens AG, SunPower Corporation and Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., among others.
There has been heightened awareness of the sector from a variety of areas, including the U.S. Congress’ promise for increased incentives to promote alternative energy technologies, a proposal by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to redirect $14 billion in subsidies for oil companies to clean technologies, and even an Academy Award victory for “An Inconvenient Truth.” The European Union has also pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020, from 1990 levels.
As part of its firm-wide commitment to the global clean technology sector, Jefferies recently launched a number of equity indices benchmarking emerging opportunities in the clean technology and alternative energy sectors. The Jefferies Global Clean Technology Index is a composite index of nearly 60 leading small- and mid-cap companies engaged in the sector worldwide. In addition to the composite index, Jefferies has launched targeted sub-indices tracking companies focused on energy generation, energy storage and industrial biotechnology.
During the first quarter, the Jefferies Global Clean Technology Energy Generation IndexSM (JEFICEGP) and the Jefferies Global Clean Technology Composite Index were up 29.9 percent and 21.5 percent respectively.
“The secular trend in favor of increased energy efficiency and alternate energy sources is receiving more backing from both governments and corporations," said Laurence Alexander, Vice President and Equity Research Analyst at Jefferies responsible for coverage of chemicals, industrial biotechnology and biofuels. "As investors look for more sustainable solutions, alternate feedstocks, such as switchgrass and algae, are attracting more interest and may prove to be viable long-term solutions. Investors are also showing more appreciation for the opportunity to integrate biofuels with biobased chemicals."
Added Jeffrey Bencik, Vice President and Equity Research Analyst at Jefferies providing coverage of clean technology companies: "Wind power is expected to grow quickly, but solar remains the more attractive investment because of the higher growth rate, better profit margins and, at least in the U.S., a wide range of investment options. These include both traditional manufacturing and potentially game-changing technologies."
While the Energy Generation and Global Clean Technology Composite indices outperformed the broader market, the Jefferies Global Clean Technology Energy Storage IndexSM (JEFICESP) and Jefferies Global Industrial Biotechnology IndexSM (JEFICIBP) were down 3.5 percent and 2.4 percent respectively during the quarter. The Energy Storage index continues to trail the rest of the Clean Technology indices as investors are waiting for more substantial technical advances. The Industrial Biotechnology index has been under pressure over the last quarter, largely due to the impact of rising feedstock costs on margins in the U.S. and Europe.
Mr. Kennedy is credited with leading the fight to protect New York City's water supply. His reputation as a resolute defender of the environment stems from a litany of successful legal actions, including prosecuting governments and companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, arguing cases to expand citizen access to the shoreline, and suing treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act.
For more information about Jefferies family of indices, visit www.jefferies.com/indices. For further information about Jefferies 3rd Global Clean Technology Conference, please contact your institutional sales representative or Jodi Pulman (212-284-2581; jpulman@Jefferies.com).
About Jefferies
Jefferies, a global investment bank and institutional securities firm, has served growing and mid-sized companies and their investors for 45 years. Headquartered in New York, with more than 25 offices around the world, Jefferies provides clients with capital markets and financial advisory services, institutional brokerage, securities research and asset management. The firm is a leading provider of trade execution in equity, high yield, convertible and international securities for institutional investors and high net worth individuals. Jefferies & Company, Inc. is the principal operating subsidiary of Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF; www.jefferies.com).
For further information, please contact:
Tom Tarrant, Jefferies & Company, Inc., 203 708 5989, ttarrant@Jefferies.com
Todd Miller, Cubitt Jacobs & Prosek, 203 378 1152, x149, tmiller@cjpcom.com
