Established companies on way to green leadership

A more reliable path towards green investments?

First Solar has been a darling of the green investment crowd. Yet, despite the fact that First Solar doesn't need subsidies to be profitable, its stock has been hit in recent months. Unlike First Solar, however, most other solar companies cannot derive a profit without significant government subsidies.

And that's often the case with most companies investing in alternative, green technologies.

Thus, MarketWatch suggests 5 companies that offer a great green investment in companies that are already established giants. GE, Honeywell International, Corning, Google and Applied Materials are "technology companies and old-line industrial giants with surprising, even quirky, big interests in the environmental movement."

What do you think? Do such companies really qualify as green investments?