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Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains?

"We've looked at several ways to play anticipated growth in wind energy; we've also considered titanium makers for that industry's ties to the production of lightweight, modern aircraft," notes Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he explains, "While the two trends might not appear to have much in common at first glance, Hexcel Corp. (NYSE: HXL) offers a way to play both the aircraft and wind markets.

"The connection is the lightweight, composite materials Hexcel makes that are used by producers in both sectors. Hexcel develops and manufactures advanced structural materials.

"It is the largest U.S. producer of carbon fiber; the world's largest weaver of reinforcement fabrics; and the number-one producer of composite materials.

"Its product was initially developed for the aerospace industry, but is now used in a wide range of applications -- from golf clubs to satellite arrays, and from the rotor blades of wind turbines to life-saving monocoques for Formula 1 race cars.

"It's been a rollercoaster ride for Hexcel's stock in the past 12 months. The shares hit their one-year peak of $27.19 in December 2007; by January 22nd they had plummeted to $17.. The shares rebounded through May, only to fade again. Year to date, HXL is off about 15%.

Continue reading Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains?

Earnings highlights: Microsoft, Yahoo!, Apple, Amazon, Texas Instruments and others

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Microsoft, Yahoo!, Apple, Amazon, Texas Instruments and others

Carbon fiber fuels Hexcel (HXL)

"Despite the recent economic slowdown, Hexcel (NYSE: HXL) is seeing its market for carbon-fiber-based aerospace products and parts boom," says energy sector expert Elliott Gue.

The contributing editor to Personal Finance explains, "And in addition to growing aerospace demand, the firm has growing markets in wind power and nuclear power." Here is his review.

"Hexcel makes lightweight carbon-fiber parts used on modern aircraft designs. New aircraft designs such as the 787 incorporate far higher carbon-fiber content than older planes, so Hexcel is becoming an increasingly important supplier.

"The aerospace demand cycle isn't directly tied to demand for air travel. Airlines and aircraft leasing firms typically plan their purchases of new planes many years in advance; the aerospace cycle is highly visible and longer-term in nature.

"Currently, demand for modern fuel-efficient aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner from Boeing (NYSE: BA) is booming. Hexcel recently reported fourth quarter results and offered management's outlook for the year ahead. Just over 50% of the company's total sales come from the commercial aerospace market.

"The market is booming: Sales surged more than 21% compared to the fourth quarter of 2006 in constant dollar terms. Hexcel sells to both Airbus and Boeing which have a combined acklog of nearly 7,000 planes that have been ordered but not yet delivered.

Continue reading Carbon fiber fuels Hexcel (HXL)

Seven ways to play the airline sector

"There are several ways to play the airline industry without buying the airlines themselves." explains Benjamin Shepard, a research editor for Personal Finance. Here, he looks seven stocks that are poised to profit as the sector "gets its wings again."

Hexcel Corp. (NYSE: HXL), he notes, is the largest producer of woven carbon-fiber sheets, which are extremely important for both Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, as well as for the new Airbus A380. He rates thes tock a buy up to 25.

Aircastle (NYSE: AYR) and Genesis Lease (NYSE: GLS) are both aircraft leasing companies and publicly traded partnerships, and both are holdings in the Personal Finance model portfolio. He notes, "As airlines continue their recovery and passenger volume rises, older planes must be replaced and new planes added to the fleets."

Both partnerships, he notes, are based in Ireland and lease to both passenger airlines and cargo companies around the world. He says, ""Aircastle and Genesis are excellent bets on the continued growth of air travel and pay dividends of around 6% and 8%, respectively."

Continue reading Seven ways to play the airline sector

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NASDAQ-2.982,151.08
S&P 500-0.071,093.01

Last updated: November 11, 2009: 01:25 AM

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