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The Start of an Energy Storage Breakthrough
Despite soft U.S. economic figures, market gyrations, and the debt ping-pong match going on between Europe and Washington, the American entrepreneurial spirit remains alive and well.
And I have proof.
A tiny upstart company based in Odessa, FL, just made a major move toward revolutionizing energy storage.
In the process, the cost of renewable energies – particularly solar and wind power – could come down dramatically, making them viable competitors in the energy marketplace.
The problem with renewable energy has always been the inability to store large amounts of what is generated – a shortcoming common to any production of electricity.
It's especially true for solar power, which is, of course, only available when the sun is out.
That's why the battery market has become the Holy Grail for the entire energy sector.
Analysts and investors focus on any small improvement in retaining power.
But there hasn't been anything like this before.
And it just might change the way we do, well, just about everything.
The Stuff of Science Fiction
Dais Analytic Corp. (OTC: DLYT) last week finally secured a patent for what it calls a "Nanoparticle Ultracapacitor." (As an indication of how new this area is, the company filed the patent more than five years ago!)
The device uses the company's proprietary nano-structured materials to create an energy storage mechanism projected to have great advantages – both in terms of performance and cost – over existing storage technologies.
The research universe in which this is taking place has been called the most important to emerge in generations.
Nanotechnology.
This is no longer the stuff of science fiction. For well over a decade now, laboratories around the globe have been pushing the envelope in nanotechnology research.
Nanotechnology encompasses a broad range of research with potential applications in areas as diverse as human stem cell therapy, lighter alloys, smaller components of everything… in addition to more powerful lithium and other batteries.
Now here's where it starts to sound like something from Star Trek…
Industrial Demand Set to Drive a Rebound in Silver Prices
After a shocking upward climb to nearly $50 an ounce, silver prices have been walloped over the past two days – plunging to $41.50 an ounce in afternoon trading yesterday (Tuesday).
But regardless of this sharp decline, now isn't the time to panic. After all, the U.S. Federal Reserve has given no indication that it plans to tighten monetary policy anytime soon, and as a result the dollar continues to weaken.
That bodes well for all precious metals, which serve well as a store of value. Furthermore, silver has another trump card – its widespread use in industry and manufacturing.
Supply Chain Disruptions from Japan Disasters Hit Auto, Electronics Industries
Companies both in Japan and around the world have begun to feel the sting of supply chain disruptions resulting from the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and its aftermath.
In addition to the damage done to factories in northeastern Japan by the quake itself, companies must contend with ruined roads, fuel shortages, and rolling power blackouts. Many companies are not sure when some of their facilities will be able to resume production, creating uncertainty for companies further down the supply chain.
"This is serious and it's still difficult to evaluate," Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (PINK: NSANY) Chief Executive OfficerCarlos Ghosntold Bloomberg News. "You have the earthquake, you have the tsunami, rolling blackouts, and fuel shortages hitting at the same time, and they aren't only hitting the car manufacturers, but also the suppliers and the dealers."
Four Reasons to Invest in ETFs – And Five Ways to Get Started
A mere 15 years ago, selecting the right exchange-traded fund (ETF) was no big challenge. That's because the first ETF wasn't introduced until 1993, and the second didn't follow until 1995. Since then, however, the growth rate among these versatile investment vehicles has been exponential – so fast, in fact, that the monitoring firm Morningstar now tracks the performance of 854 ETFs, with new funds being added almost weekly.
So, from this mushrooming roster of new ETFs – now covering virtually every market sector, both domestic and international – how do you select the right one (or, more likely, ones) for your portfolio?
If you're not already familiar with ETFs, here are four reasons why you should consider adding some balance to your portfolio.
Buy, Sell or Hold: BCE Inc. (NYSE: BCE) Has Canada Covered
The market right now is torn between data that suggests the U.S. is waning and reports that many companies are increasing guidance and beating earnings estimates.
This has created a lot of volatility, and if you already have enough strong growth plays in your portfolio, adding some large, established companies with stable cashflows and hefty dividend yields could ease some of the anxiety you may be feeling.
Such an approach in my opinion is superior to bonds, since bond yields are just too low at these levels. That means you actually risk capital losses if they go up. In addition, safe dividends paid by leading companies are higher than bond yields. And unlike bonds, big companies usually can adjust prices in accordance with inflation.
There are a lot of companies for an investor to choose from, but BCE Inc. (NYSE: BCE) jumps out at me immediately. It is a dominant, well-managed company, and it has strong upside potential.
Buy, Sell or Hold: Tata Motors Ltd. (NYSE: TTM) Is Kicking Into High Gear
I am constantly hunting for profitable opportunities for my Money Map VIP Trader, the Money Map Report and this column in Money Morning. And I realized months ago that India would be the one major emerging market that would notably accelerate in the second half of the year and into 2011.
To take advantage of that trend, I recommended a very pro-cyclical play in my trading service, which you can only see by subscribing. But I also kept up my search and was able to find another good opportunity to recommend here. That opportunity is Tata Motors Ltd. (NYSE ADR: TTM).
About a month ago, my colleague and Money Morning Managing Editor Jason Simpkins articulated a view of the Indian economy that clearly details how that country is looking to accelerate growth. The major headwind for India has been inflation – more specifically, food prices.
However, India is experiencing a normal monsoon season and will soon see its production of food increase and food prices drop – the recent spike in wheat prices notwithstanding. This drop in food prices, coupled with renewed fiscal discipline will help bring inflation down from around 10% to about 6% by year end.
Buy, Sell or Hold: The Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX) Is Cleaning Up
The Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX) on Thursday reported net earnings of $171 million on sales of $1.52 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010 ended June 30, compared to net earnings of $170 million on net sales of $1.5 billion the year prior.
This continued the company's trend of improvement. But more importantly, the bulk of Clorox's profit and margin growth came from its international unit, and the firm projected an expansion in earnings per share of at least 10% to 14% for next fiscal year.
Boring is beautiful when you're dealing with consumer staples, since share prices improve with incremental increases in sales and margins. In Clorox's case, this has meant taking advantage of low rates and dependable cashflow to finance expansion plans. But the good news is that the high financial leverage results in an exorbitant return on equity.
Buy, Sell or Hold: Peabody Energy Corp.'s (NYSE: BTU) Global Dominance Is Heating Up Profit Growth
[Editor's Note: We're seeing growth in the emerging economies. And since growth equates to increased energy consumption, and increased energy consumption translates to an excellent profit opportunity for investors, it's time to take a close look at the unchallenged global king of the coal industry: Peabody Energy Corp.]
While advanced economies are still facing high levels of unemployment, more than a billion people in emerging markets are experiencing advancing standards of living.
As these emerging economies – especially China and India -grow, there is a strong trend toward urbanization. People are leaving the countryside for the cities in droves in order to reap the promise of the global economy. This secular process alone places huge demands on the existing infrastructure.
This growth is also boosting manufacturing and energy needs. China has surpassed the United States in both car production and energy consumption. And India's Tata Motors Ltd. (NYSE ADR: TTM) launched the cheapest car in the world, the Nano, which costs roughly $2,500. The critically acclaimed vehicle's mass appeal and affordability is creating additional congestion on India's famously overcrowded streets. Adding more fuel to the global-demand fire, most emerging economies implemented a strong dose of infrastructure spending within their budgets as a result of the global financial crisis of 2008.
The result of all that infrastructure development, urbanization and increased consumer affluence is a myriad of new road, bridge and building construction, additional urban development, and stepped-up production of cars, home appliances and other consumer goods. All of these developments require two key ingredients to become reality: Steel and energy.
GM Hopes to Lead Budding U.S. Electric Car Market with Chevrolet Volt
General Motors Corp. on Tuesday announced the price tag on its hybrid Chevrolet Volt due out this fall, hoping to blaze the trail for an up-and-coming U.S. electric car industry and entice buyers to take a greener route.
The extended-range electric Volt, running on battery power and a small engine, will be priced at $41,000 and will qualify for a $7,500 tax credit. The price is close to analysts' $40,000 estimate, but significantly higher than the $32,780 cost of its competitor, the Nissan Leaf.
GM justifies the price difference with the Volt's significantly better driving-range benefit: The Volt will run for 40 miles on battery power and then a small gasoline engine will kick in as a generator, powering the vehicle for another 300 – 400 miles.
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