Posted: October 16, 2008

In the midst of the credit crisis, one portfolio manager says he’s continuing to add to positions and that prospects for the industry he specializes in “are the best they have been since I began my focus in the mid-1980s.”

He’s Neil Berlant, manager of the PFW Water Fund (Symbol PFWAX) a NASDAQ-traded mutual fund that’s focused on all aspects of water, including infrastructure, desalination, purification, disinfection and utilities.

In a new research note titled “Market Turmoil and Investing in the Water Industry,” Berlant states, “Be assured, I am not cavalierly dismissing the pain connected to investment positions that are declining. Not am I ignoring the news of the time; it would be hard to do. On the other hand, I am paying close attention to the continuing success and prospects of the businesses we own and the industry we specialize in. With respect to their prospects, in my view, they are the best they have been since I began my focus in the mid-1980s.”

Berlant goes on to say, “I am quite certain about our prospects, market conditions notwithstanding, and continue to add to positions and stay the course.”

Berlant’s optimism regarding water industry stocks reflects the fact that, as he told EnergyTechStocks.com in August, he sees the price of water in the U.S. rising as much as 300% over the next few years. While that could be yet another burden on the consumer-driven U.S. economy, for water-related companies it should spell opportunity, he believes, as greater emphasis is placed on finding, conserving and purifying water.

To be sure, Berlant’s fund hasn’t been immune to the market turmoil, its share price having declined sharply over the last few weeks. But if Berlant and other water experts are correct, just as with oil and electricity, a global reckoning is fast approaching, as global population soars and infrastructure projects long ignored by governments become unavoidable.

For more on Berlant and water-related companies, see:

Leading Wall Street Water Analyst Neil Berlant: Price of Water in US to Rise Up to 300% in Next 2-3 Years

Leading Wall Street Water Analyst Neil Berlant (Pt. 1 of 4) - Look at Infrastructure Firms Ameron, Northwest Pipe, Mueller

Leading Wall Street Water Analyst Neil Berlant (Pt. 2 of 4) - Water Purification Firms Calgon Carbon, Nalco are Interesting

Leading Wall Street Water Analyst Neil Berlant (Pt. 3 of 4) - Check Out Desalination Firms Energy Recovery, Consol. Water

Leading Wall Street Water Analyst Neil Berlant (Pt. 4 of 4) - Healthcare Water Firms Cantel Medical, Pall Corp