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Can ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) Reach $40?

ACES
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A.I.Advisor
Aug 20, 2026

Can ALPS Clean Energy ETF (ACES) Reach $40?

Key Takeaways

  • The central question is whether ACES, the ALPS Clean Energy ETF, can climb roughly 25%–27% from its recent trading range near $31–$32 to the widely watched $40 level.
  • Strongest bullish factors include improving clean energy sentiment, a diversified basket spanning solar, electric vehicles, batteries, and grid technology, and an analyst consensus pointing to meaningful upside across its holdings.
  • Biggest risks include heavy exposure to unprofitable growth-stage companies, policy uncertainty around clean energy incentives, and a small asset base that leaves the fund sensitive to single-stock swings.
  • Key technical markers: the 52-week range of about $26 to $43, with the $40 mark sitting just below the prior 52-week high near $43, which acts as a major resistance zone.
  • The takeaway: $40 is a plausible medium-term objective, but it likely requires both a durable sector rotation into clean energy and improved fundamentals from the fund's largest holdings.

ETF Overview

ACES is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the CIBC Atlas Clean Energy Index, a benchmark of U.S.- and Canada-listed companies operating across the clean energy value chain. The fund holds roughly 39 stocks and carries an expense ratio of 0.55%, with approximately $130 million in assets under management (AUM) — modest by ETF standards, which can contribute to wider bid-ask spreads and higher volatility.

Its portfolio is genuinely diversified by theme rather than by single subsector. Top holdings include Rivian Automotive (RIVN), HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI), Tesla (TSLA), First Solar (FSLR), Albemarle (ALB), and Itron (ITRI), alongside Brookfield Renewable Partners and Northland Power. That mix means performance is driven by electric vehicles, lithium and batteries, solar manufacturing, and grid infrastructure all at once.

Current Market Position

After a sharp multi-year drawdown, ACES has staged a notable recovery. It gained roughly 30% in 2025, yet it remains far below its 2020 peak above $66 and is still about half that level today. With the fund recently trading near $31–$32, the $40 target represents a meaningful but not extreme move — roughly one-quarter of additional upside from current prices.

Importantly, $40 sits just beneath the fund's 52-week high of approximately $43, a level reached earlier in the trailing year. This makes $40 a natural, psychologically significant threshold that investors watch as a stepping stone toward retesting the prior peak.

What Could Drive the Next Leg Higher

Several forces could support a move toward the $40 ETF price target. Falling interest rates historically ease financing costs for capital-intensive renewable and EV companies, improving the growth outlook for a sector sensitive to borrowing expenses. Grid-modernization spending and rising electricity demand from data centers have also broadened the clean energy investment narrative beyond pure subsidy dependence.

The fund's concentrated holdings could work in its favor. Because the top ten positions represent more than half of assets, a strong run in names like Tesla, First Solar, or Rivian can move the entire ETF quickly. If the clean energy trade regains momentum — as it did during portions of 2025 — ACES is structured to capture that rally efficiently.

What Could Prevent the Move

The same concentration cuts both ways. Several of ACES's largest holdings are growth-stage or unprofitable companies whose valuations depend on future execution rather than current earnings. Albemarle, for example, has traded with an elevated forward price-to-earnings ratio despite a challenging lithium pricing environment, while Rivian has continued to post losses even as revenue grows.

Policy risk is another central obstacle. Clean energy demand in the United States remains intertwined with tax credits and incentives, and any change in that framework can abruptly alter project economics. A shift in the regulatory environment or renewed uncertainty about subsidy duration would likely weigh on the entire basket and could delay any approach to $40.

Analyst Opinions and Price Targets

Because ACES is a fund, its "analyst price target" is best understood through the consensus of ratings on its underlying holdings. Aggregated estimates compiled from the stocks the ETF owns point to a 12-month average target near $44, with a high forecast approaching $58 and a low near $31. That suggests the broad sell-side community sees room for the portfolio to appreciate beyond $40 over a longer horizon, even if near-term momentum remains uneven.

Technical Levels That Matter

From a technical analysis standpoint, the market outlook hinges on a few durable levels. The $40 mark functions as a psychological resistance level and a key supply zone ahead of the 52-week high near $43. On the downside, the fund has repeatedly found support in the upper $20s, giving it a well-defined floor that would need to hold for any sustained uptrend to develop.

For ACES to reach $40, the ETF would first need to break and hold above intermediate resistance levels in the mid-$30s. A decisive move through those zones, accompanied by renewed sector leadership, would put the $40 price forecast within reach; failure to hold support near $30 would instead keep the fund range-bound.

AI Daily Buy/Sell Signals

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Final Assessment

A move to $40 is realistic but not guaranteed. The strongest arguments in favor are the fund's diversified clean energy exposure, the sector's sensitivity to lower rates and rising electricity demand, and an analyst consensus that sees upside beyond $40 over a 12-month window. The primary obstacles are concentration in unprofitable growth names, ongoing policy uncertainty, and a small asset base that amplifies volatility.

Investors should monitor the fund's largest holdings for evidence of improving profitability, watch whether clean energy can sustain sector leadership, and track the technical battle around support near $30 and resistance in the mid-$30s. Sustained progress through those levels would meaningfully improve the odds that the $40 price target is eventually reached.

Disclaimer

The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.

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ACES and ETFs

Correlation & Price change

A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ACES has been closely correlated with QCLN. These tickers have moved in lockstep 95% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if ACES jumps, then QCLN could also see price increases.

1D
1W
1M
1Q
6M
1Y
5Y
Ticker /
NAME
Correlation
To ACES
1D Price
Change %
ACES100%
+0.71%
QCLN - ACES
95%
Closely correlated
+1.30%
KOMP - ACES
86%
Closely correlated
+1.12%
NUKZ - ACES
75%
Closely correlated
+1.36%
GRID - ACES
70%
Closely correlated
+1.15%
BOTZ - ACES
63%
Loosely correlated
+1.76%
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