You’ve heard pitches on Apple (NYSE: AAPL) and Corning (NYSE: GLW), now lets continue on with the information technology sector. There are many places to invest around the sector. I am finding increasingly that the big boys like IBM, Microsoft & Google are providing more risk than reward. As investors, we want as high upside potential as possible when matched with low downside risk. Lets find some companies that match our description.

Solar Semiconductor - The Net Fool picks First Solar (NYSE: FSLR)
After doubting the extreme-growth behind solar technology in January 2008, it seems high time we apologized to powerhouse gainers like First Solar. ThinkEquity Partners gave this great stock a one-word classification, “debottlenecking.” After smashing earnings estimates of 53 cents a share with an astonishing 77 cent gain, they appreciated 30% on the day after increasing 2008 guidance. Don’t let this buy-athon scare you away. We thought the solar industry run-up was finished, and were clearly proven wrong. The year-over-year revenue growth of 280% and strength in EPS suggests stronger future earnings power.

Operating efficiency is one of the primary benefits I see from operation in 2008. Costs per watt ($1.12) averages were down 6% on the year, and a negative currency impact from the Euro was almost entirely overshadowed by economical operations in First Solar’s Malaysia plant. Spots for improvement have been identified, and most analysts feel they can bring home the gold. Most notably, the first and second quarter 2008 should prove to show continued growth on track with 2007 appreciation. Solar companies are all trading at attractive premiums when considering growth. With oil on the move upward, it seems that momentum for green energy will remain strong. Investors should return to the solar arena with strong earnings and demand in mind.

The Malaysian plant’s revamp may have a negative impact on First Solar’s first quarter earnings in 2008. On the other side of the coin, we expect an increase in production and see operating margins supporting at 30%+ levels. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see more good news in guidance. We expect their PE and PEG ratios to come more in line with the industry, as the current premium they appear to be trading at is a result of explosive growth over the past year. Execution was flawless in 2007, and with nothing but green lights thus far… First Solar makes for a great long-term growth play.

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Despite recent turmoil in the IT sector for 2008, I contend that this is now where you want to be. Reasoning here follows that the financial sector is struggling to keep its bad news buried, the housing market is shambles and even retailers are struggling to sustain growth. A move toward tech seems fully logical due to typically strong international exposure, confident balance sheets and the fact that IT stocks hold a historically low correlation to the broader markets. Lets pick some technology bulls.

Consumer Electronics - The Net Fool picks Apple (NYSE: AAPL)
Hey Mr. Market, why so down on Apple? The iPod business is fully matured. The iPhone is losing inventory to similar devices. MacWorld was missing its usual superstar prospect. I tell you what, take this news and know that Apple has historically done its best when sentiment is low. Steve Jobs & Co. is my favorite IT pick for 2008. The downside has opened up value in the stock, and I feel they have bottomed!

Looking further into the concerning issues. The iPhone was selling less because of Apple’s push into the new iPod Touch, the analysts at Needham noted that “Apple would have sold close to four million iPhones in its absence.” Add this to the fact that an estimated 25%-30% of iPhones were “unlocked” from AT&T, a number that actually benefits AAPL through the carrier’s headache. While iPod sales were slowed, I feel that the mp3 device is merely in a transitioning phase, and interesting opportunities are now raised in mobile technology.

I feel that AAPL may be a recession resistor. Mac business is healthier than ever, and single-handily offset losses in iPods. Investors are punishing high-end firms like Apple for any disappointments. The stock is 35% off its highs, trading at a premium 24-times-earnings compared to its peer’s 32x and has a PEG of 0.7x. They’ve got the free cash flow we love ($6.78/share est. 2008) and its business segments have never looked healthier. People are hating on this company for no reason. As Warren Buffet puts it: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy only when others are fearful.”

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I am currently in the process of designing and bringing together a lovely new layout for theNetFool.com! This new template should be available in about a week, and should show major improvements from the current model. There were many questions raised about our current site not functioning properly in IE6, so we are going to go ahead and create a more flexible design that should allow for full compatibility so everyone can read.

In the meantime, I will make the usual stock post on Monday and a GPT review on Wednesday. We are going to shift focus away from sportsbooks temporarily, but those links will always be around for your convenience. The exact time that the new design will be fully working is unknown, as some of the graphic work has been outsourced. I will let you know when everything is fully operational! Thank you for your patience.

-The Net Fool

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I recently came across this popular get paid to (GPT) website through the InstantDollarz.com network. It is one of the oldest offer-completing websites on the internet and still offers terrific service. With an immediate $5 bonus deposited to you account on sign-up, these guys know how to run business. They have tons of offers, surveys and other ways to make money… definitely a top-notch site.

The Net Fool gives InstantProfitz a 4-out-of-5 rating

InstantProfitz is an established cash incentive website that offers a no-nonsense approach to making money on the internet. They may not have the contests or a credit-based bonus system of TreasureTrooper and SWATcash, but the payouts are the highest in the business and they have more offers to complete then I could believe. Lets get started with their layout. InstantProfitz.com uses a cute monkey logo which doesn’t really fit anything else on the site, but I love anyway. The site is easy to use, and very easy on the eyes. If you are a beginner/intermediate online money maker, you are going to love this site. Easy to navigate, and the support database answers all your questions. You can even search through offers by title AND merchant!

Lets get right down to it. Why am I bullish on InstantProfitz? It may be an old dog of a GPT service, but they continue to offer the best payout rates in the business (eBay benchmark payout is $10, matching the best in class). They have just about every offer known to man in their offers section, and each of them is easily sortable by category. In all, I have found their approval system to be in-line with the industry as far as speediness goes, and the amount of opportunities is simply off the charts. There may be a steep $26 minimum cash-out, but when you consider the amount of offers and the $5.00 sign-up bonus… its not so out of reach after all. Read the rest of this entry »

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One of our readers, Jesse, asked:

“Hey, I just wanted to know, say I wanted to just jump into stocks. Can I directly buy stocks or do I need to go to a site like Charles Schaubb in order to get started?”

Buying a share of stock, whether it be common or preferred, seems like a daunting task to those who have never owned stock before. But to put it quite simply, stock is nothing more than a piece of paper resembling a portion of ownership in a company. Most big-time firms will issue stock in order to raise cash, so if they have cut up 100 shares and you buy one… you essentially have 1% ownership in that company! Cool huh?

Rather than buying the paperwork directly, most investors nowadays turn to stock brokers. What is a stock broker? Think about a broker as somebody who orders the shares you want, does all the paperwork for you, and keeps track of your money, your earnings and your losses.

Picking a Broker: Discount Brokers
The most popular option for investing today is through a discount broker. These typically have a low minimum deposit and low trading commission fees. Here are my favorite three:

1. Scottrade - This is the broker I use to make my trades. They are known for having the best customer service in the business, and very favorable pricing for beginning/intermediate buyers. Trades are all just $7, including stock options. The minimum deposit is just $500, so anyone can put money in. Plus, they are the only major broker that hasn’t been hacked in the recent wave of phishing attempts. I trust them more than anyone else because they offer a sense of security. Customer service is very helpful and their trade execution time is apparently the best of all discount brokers. If you want to sign up, let me know so we can both get 3 free trades! Read the rest of this entry »

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