Fluor (FLR) and Perini (PCR) are in the same sector - infrastructure. That's about all they have in common. I have owned both at one time or the other, but clearly owning Perini (PCR) was a mistake. My thesis with infrastucture is to focus on the customer base - oil rich Arabs, trade rich Chinese, and essentially bankrupt (federal) US government with unending pocketbook (read: your taxes) who runs deficits to their hearts content. That was my error with Perini - unfortunately their customer base is heavily focused on non federal government Americans (although they are trying to change that) i.e. local governments, US customers who need credit lines - casinos for example [Jan 17: Perini Shows Collateral Damage of Tightening Credit + Slowing Economy]Construction company Perini Corp (PCR) said Deutsche Bank on Wednesday delivered a notice of loan default to the ...

In “Surging Crude Means Picking Shrewd” why did Christopher Zook praise Applied Materials?

“The best idea right now would be Applied Materials (AMAT - Annual Report),” he said.  “We believe there’s a tremendous growth opportunity there in the solar business, as well as the economy begins to recover in 2009 and 2010, they’re going to get strength in their core businesses as well.”

Eventually the semiconductor firms will start ordering again. Meanwhile, solar is too small to register much, in my opinion.

Disclosure: William Trent has a long position in SMH.

Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) is an interesting tale - this has been for many many years been a "hope" stock i.e. more promise than execution - I remember the hoopla surrounding it at the turn of the century ... the last time people were all hyped up about alternative energies (at the time the big fuss was about new wave car batteries and the like). This company has morphed over the years with a confusing array of business lines (trying to decide what it wanted to "be"), but recently has added a newer and more business savvy executive team, and while they still have a few business lines .... the excitement is their solar business, which has turned into the dominant line at the company. Much like First Solar (FSLR), ENER has a thin film process so by staying away from the polysilicon shortage issue they have some potential to ...