For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"Although the nanotech sector in general is more speculative, a relatively more conservative pick within this space is PowerShares Lux Nanotech Portfolio (ASE: PXN), a favorite of mine for 2008," says nanotech and science guru Josh Wolfe, editor of the Forbes Wolfe Emerging Tech Report.

"With a significant amount of hedge fund assets in companies with market caps below $5 billion, the past quarter's liquidity crunch has hurt small-cap companies. The PowerShares Lux Nanotech Portfolio has seen significant decline with its small-cap constituents.

"But it also has large-cap multinational companies with significant overseas business. A year ago I liked it because it was a representative diversified index of companies that derived value from incorporating nanotech into their product lines.

Today, it's on sale today and if you want exposure to this long-term secular trend of advanced materials and nanotech and you're willing to be a long-term holder, I'd make it a piece of a broader portfolio. (Full disclosure: I'm a shareholder in Lux Research, which partnered with Powershares to form the index)."

Best Stocks for 2008: Emerging growth with Lux Nanotech ETF (PXN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My more speculative favorite for 2008 is Market Vectors Nuclear Energy (ASE: NLR)," says scientist and technology stock expert Josh Wolfe, editor of the Forbes Wolfe Emerging Tech Report.

"The Market Vectors Nuclear Energy exchange traded fund is one of the first dedicated nuclear energy ETFs, with exposure to both domestic and international companies. It began trading in August 2007.

"I'm a nuclear bull for a few reasons. As fears of global warming rise, fears of nuclear recede -- even environmentalists are getting on board. A month ago for the first time in US history, a coal plant was denied in Kansas on environmental grounds.

"I've called this the 'Kansas Syndrome' -- like the 'China Syndrome' that crippled growth of nuclear power for three decades -- coal's future may soon be in doubt.

Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: Charged up over Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR)

Best Stocks for 2008: Charged up over Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've just returned from the World Money Show in Orlando where more than 10,000 investors gathered to learn about global investing. I had a chance to meet with many of the U.S. and foreign financial experts featured at the show, and over the next week I will share some of their top investment ideas. To view all of the stocks featured in this special global report, click here.

As an advisor, scientist, and venture capitalist, Josh Wolfe is a recognized leader in nanotechnology; in fact, he was among a handful of industry experts invited to join President Bush in the Oval Office when he signed the landmark nanotech funding bill.

The ideas that he recommends are often meant for the more-sophisticated investor, as can be seen from his latest global nanotech idea -- Oxonica (LSE:OXN), a London-listed nanotech firm. Intriguingly, he speculates that the company may soon list its shares in the U.S.

The editor of The Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report explains, "Oxonica, which supplies nanomaterials for the energy, security, health care, and materials sectors, appears to be bucking the trend. Spun out of Oxford University in 1999, Oxonica has already established itself as a leading nanotech start-up.

"Recently, it was rated as a top start-up for corporate partnership by nanotech strategic advisory firm Lux Research." For full disclosure, he notes that his venture firm Lux Capital is an equity investor in Lux Research.

Meanwhile, he notes, "The key to Oxonica's success has been its portfolio management approach to commercializing nanomaterials. Oxonica has products in its pipeline for industries as diverse as cosmetics, energy, security, and bio-diagnostics and it has not restricted itself to being a one-trick pony.

Continue reading Global gains: Big potential in U.K. nanotech

Global gains: Big potential in U.K. nanotech originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Stocks Report.

Symyx Technologies (NASDAQ: SMMX) is the top speculative pick for 2007 from nanotech expert Josh Wolfe. The editor of the Forbes/Wolfe Nanotech Report says, "Santa Clara, California-based Symyx is one of the nanotech materials companies in our model Nanosphere portfolio.

"SMMX is a research services company focused on serving the chemical, energy, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries. It works closely with alliance partners ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical to provide research services, develop and sell discovery tools systems, and license software and intellectual property.

"We believe that the biggest source of value in Symyx is in spin-off opportunities. Two have, in fact, been funded by venture capital firms. In addition, materials that they are commercializing are now coming to market and will earn them royalties on top of the service and hardware revenues they already receive.

"For the four financial quarters ended September 30, 2006, Symyx generated $33 million in cash flow on revenues of $116 million. Revenues for the first nine months of 2006 were up 10% versus the same period in 2005. Symyx shares bottomed just below $20 in October of 2006."

Top Picks 2007: Josh Wolfe's nanotech bet on Symyx originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.