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Honeywell: Back up the truck, for share gains

I'm Reiterating my Buy rating for Honeywell International, Inc. (NYSE: HON) first recommended on February 25, 2009 at a price of $28.26.

The growth proposition for Honeywell remains intact. Large order backlogs by commercial airline manufacturers, including The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA), will support revenue in FY2009.



Continue reading Honeywell: Back up the truck, for share gains

Itron (ITRI): Smart grids, smart meters

"Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is involved in the build-out of smart grids -- has been our radar screen for awhile," says growth stock expert Toby Smith.

In his ChangeWave Investing, he suggests, "As the top supplier of smart meters and meter infrastructure for the electricity industry, Itron is by far the best-positioned company for the smart grid build-out."

"The build-out of smart grids employs technologies that deployed across an energy grid which allow greater efficiency and flexibility during energy distribution and transmission.

"The cool thing about smart grids is that they are capable of isolating and better managing power outages and disruptions, integrating local power generating equipment, and avoiding electricity congestion or bottlenecks.

Continue reading Itron (ITRI): Smart grids, smart meters

Power grid play: American Superconductor (AMSC)

"American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC) should benefit from an update of the nation's power grid," says Jim Powell.

Here, the editor of Global Changes & Opportunities Report reviews this leading manufacturer of more efficient high temperature superconductor-based wires and cables.

"I've been writing about infrastructure stocks ever since it became apparent that big federal spending programs were on the way. I believe American Superconductor will perform very well. In fact, its price has already started to rise.

"American Superconductor is not yet profitable. However, the company is well past the development stage. AMSC makes high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires and cables that carry as much as 150 times the current as conventional products of the same weight and diameter.

Continue reading Power grid play: American Superconductor (AMSC)

Senate passes diluted energy bill - will Bush veto?

In 1908, a Ford Model-T traveled 25 miles on a gallon of gasoline. In an attempt to return to those halcyon days, the U.S. voted late Thursday night to pass a new energy bill that sets lofty CAFE goals for the American car fleet.

Along with mandating a fleet average of 35 mpg by 2020 and energy-efficient appliances and lights, the measure will require the fuel industry to raise ethanol production to 36 billion gallons by 2022. Slightly less than 5 billion gallons were produced in 2006.

The first engine to use ethanol as a fuel was built in 1826.

In recognition of the damage to the nation's grain crop prices that increased ethanol production would wreak if it were based on corn, the measure mandates that most of that increase come from cellulose (think wood pulp).

The auto industry, in an embarrassing admission of its continuing inability to forecast consumer demand (if you remember its attitude about the Volkswagen Beetle in the 1960's, you know what I mean), was prepared to filibuster the bill, but the Senate was able to garner enough votes to override. However, the Republicans were able to use this lever to pry out of the bill language that would have taxed the petroleum industry to create a fund a program promoting fuel efficiency. They also were successful in removing a requirement that 15% of the nation's electricity be generated via windmills, solar power and the like.

President Bush's approval on the bill is still in question, though, as he opposes many of the measures including one allowing the government to punish companies found guilty of price-gouging.

In many arenas, the Republican and Democratic parties have little to distinguish between them, but this bill sharply differentiates their approach to the energy problem. This compromise seems to me seems, a strong vote for more of the same policies that have maintained the status quo for generations.

Color Kinetics beginning to light up

An innovator in LED (light emitting diode) lighting and display, Color Kinetics (Nasdaq: CLRK) may, after 10 years in business, begin to gain some momentum if recent earnings are any indication. 1Q 2007 revenue increased 28% to $18.8 million, so this is a small company. The big news, however, is that GAAP net income increased 697%, not a typo, to $1.5 million or diluted EPS of $0.07, up from 1Q 2006 net income of $188,000 or $0.01 diluted EPS. Non-GAAP net income was $2.3 million, from which $814,000 went to stock-based compensation.

Gross margins improved to 55%. More importantly, Color Kinetics signed 12 new licensing agreements, several of them huge customers such as Ford Motor Company. As a result of landing new big clients, licensing revenue was up 88%. Color Kinetics is living up to its reputation as a lighting innovator, receiving 7 patents in 1Q 2007 alone. This stock may catch some momentum, as the company is flexible and innovative enough to respond quickly to market demand, has a demonstrated record of technical expertise in its field, and can offer clients a necessary product, lighting, that is much more energy efficient, longer lasting, lower maintenance than most current products.

2Q 2007 revenues are forecast in the range of $20-$21 million, with GAAP net income between $0.05-$0.07 per share.The stock closed recently at $27.48, down $0.19.

GE throws light on incandescent bulb ban movement

Just as concern about the energy inefficiency of incandescent light bulbs (the ones we are most used to) has inspired a world-wide movement to ban them in favor of compact fluorescent lights (CFL), General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) announced a breakthrough that changes the equation. Its Consumer and Industrial Lighting division has developed an incandescent bulb that will match fluorescent lamp's power miserliness while retaining the quality of light customers are used to.

The high efficiency incandescent (HEI) lamp could also reduce CO² emissions by 40 million tons in the U.S., and the company claims they will also cost less than comparable compact fluorescent lights.

A grass-roots campaign to ban the incandescent light bulb, called the 18Seconds Movement (the average time it takes to change a light bulb is 18 seconds) is supported by entities such as Greenpeace, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT), the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Australia has already passed legislation banning incandescent lamps by 2012.

Either way, HEI or CFL, GE is well positioned with lines of products, but this could certainly slow down the rush to legislation worldwide.

For me, CFLs are headache-producers, so if they want my old-fashioned bulbs they'll have to pry my hot, dead fingers from the filaments.

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Last updated: November 23, 2009: 03:55 PM

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