Even during the worldwide recession it seems consumers continue to abandon ‘dumb’ phones when, for just a little bit more money, they can get a pocket-sized computer – a smartphone – instead. According to research firm Gartner, overall handset sales are expected to shrink by 4 percent this year compared to last year. Meanwhile, smartphone sales are forecast to grow by more than 20 percent.

Smartphones account for only 14 percent of the mobile phone market today, but this segment has doubled its share of the global mobile phone business over the past three years. More than 500 million smartphones are expected to be sold in 2012 when they are forecasted to make up half the market. Revenues from smartphones are expected to double to half the industry total by 2014.

With the smartphone market being really the only game in town, the intensity of the battle for the smartphone market is

...

Maxim Integrated Products Inc.’s (MXIM) first quarter earnings beat consensus estimates by a penny. Revenue was over the high-end of management’s guidance range of $415-445 million, or a sequential increase of 5-13%. Revenue Revenue of $449.2 million was up 13.9% sequentially and down 10.4% year over year. The sequential strength in demand was reflective of the rebound in the semiconductor sector and follows stronger results reported by other chip companies, such as Linear Technology (LLTC), Intel Corp. (INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Texas Instruments (TXN). Revenue by End Market The computing market generated 25% of revenue, up 13.9% sequentially and down 20% year over year. Revenue benefited from sequential strength in the server, financial terminals and notebook segments. The consumer market generated 33% of revenue, up 17.4% sequentially and 5.6% year over year. ...

• Sony (NYSE:SNE) said weak cell phone sales and lower PlayStation III console prices resulted in another quarterly loss.  The firm also said full-year prospects improved from the company's aggressive cost-cutting measures

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) reported its twelfth straight quarterly loss of $269 million. The firm said it expects operating results to break even by yearend

• Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) reported third quarter earnings one cent above Zacks estimates at 40 cents, as revenues of $3.4 billion were below Zacks estimates of $4.25 billion. The company noted, "Industry sales volumes continued to show signs of stabilization"

• ITT Industries (NYSE:ITT) reported third quarter beat Zacks estimates by 14 cents a share, coming in at $1.03 on inline revenues of $2.7 billion, down 6.3%

• Coventry Health Care (NYSE:CVH) reported its third quarter of 68 cents topped Zacks estimates by 14 cents, on inline revenues of $3.44 billion, up 17.7%

• Aon (NYSE:AOC), reported third quarter

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Sprint Nextel (S) reported third-quarter 2009 results with net loss per share of 17 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 15 cents and the year-ago loss per share of 11 cents. The third-largest US wireless carrier posted a net loss of $478 million, 47% more than the net loss of $326 million reported a year ago. Sprint remains significantly challenged by the volatile economic backdrop, which has contributed to the sustained decline in the wireless subscriber base and associated revenues. Operating revenue fell 9% year over year to $8 billion due to lower contributions from its wireline and post-paid wireless businesses. The company reported adjusted OIBDA of $1.5 billion for the quarter, down 17% year over year, due to decreased operating revenue partly offset by lower SG&A expenses. Wireless Consolidated revenue from the wireless segment was $6.9 billion, down 8% year over year, ...

Xcellink International Inc. is a Las Vegas Company that has the potential to develop into a major player in the next generation of customer payment systems. In an industry that has the potential to be worth billions, Xcellink is becoming known for their state-of-the-art technology which is led by a patented system that has the potential and capabilities to replace all credit, debit, charge and smart cards.

Xcellink is poised for a global presence with the announcement that it will issue patents in Australia and New Zealand which will be entitled ‘Automated Electronic Funds Transfer System and Method’ and will cover the automated data interchange to achieve transactions between customers and merchants over local wired or wireless links.

These patents will provide Xcellink the opportunity to dominate in the 21st Century E-Commerce business structure and will give the young company uniform patent protection across the whole territory of Australasia.

A company spokesperson

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Taobao.com, the Internet shopping subsidiary of the Chinese B2B e-commerce group Alibaba, has announced that it will cooperate with China Mobile to launch a new mobile phone short message-based price comparison service. With this new service, mobile phone users will be able to inquire about the prices of goods sold on Taobao.com when they are shopping [...]

Supertex Inc. (SUPX) recently reported revenues of $15.9 million in its fiscal second quarter, down 32% year over year but up 17% sequentially.  The sequential increase in revenues was driven by growth in LED driver products for lighting and backlighting, medical electronics products, and electroluminescent (EL) driver products. Orders for LED and EL driver products surged after Labor Day. The company had to rush these orders through its wafer fab and expedite them through backend assembly and test in order to meet customer demand schedules. Demand for medical ultrasound products is also beginning to rebound, as sales grew 17% sequentially.

Management added that its major customer has increased its LED TV sales estimates for 2009 and 2010 while other customers are also ramping up. Sales of LED driver products for general lighting applications have also increased. In anticipation of new cell phone launches, shipments of EL inverter products ramped

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 19, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), NTT DoCoMo (DCM), Nokia Corp. (NOK) and Motorola Inc. (MOT).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Friday’s AnalystBlog:

Qualcomm Wins M-Banking Deal

Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) recently entered into an agreement with MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), through which the latter will offer mobile banking services to its customers using Qualcomm’s mobile banking applications. Qualcomm provides mobile banking solutions through its subsidiary Firethorn Holding LLC.

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Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts!

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Friday October 16, 2009

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Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI) (OTC Bulletin Board: CVAT) has signed Miura Engineering Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan (www.miura21.co.jp) as its new agent to serve markets in Japan for CTI’s Nano-Cavitation Process Systems. Miura is a leading Engineering Company specialized in Edible Oil Processing Plants in the Far East.

Applied Signal Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:APSG), a market leader in advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions, today announced that it will showcase an extensive collection of next-generation, tactical

...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 15, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Nokia Corp. (NOK), Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), AT&T (T), Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple Inc. (AAPL).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Nokia Enters Netbook Market

Nokia Corp. (NOK) yesterday announced its sales and distribution plan for its first netbook called “Booklet 3G". The U.S. retailer Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) will sell this netbook (mini laptop) for $299.99 together with AT&T’s (T)

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