Investopedia: Can LEDs Brighten Investor Portfolios?

Goldman Sachs recently highlighted LED lighting as a top “disruptive” theme over the next decade. While I'm often inclined to believe that these sell-side "theme pieces" are designed more towards generating attention during stretches of slow company news, I have little doubt that the penetration rate of LEDs in the lighting market is going to increase significantly over the next decade. That is going to fuel significant demand for LED-making equipment, LED packaging, and finished lighting fixtures for companies like Aixtron (Nasdaq:AIXG), Cree (Nasdaq:CREE), Philips (NYSE:PHG), and Osram What is less clear to me is the extent to which investors can expect to see huge gains at this point – the “LED revolution” has been long in coming and while there are certainly going to be trading opportunities come and go, the idea of “buy and hold” in this sector seems optimistic at best.

Please read the full article here:
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/082913/can-leds-brighten-investor-portfolios-cree-aixg-ge-phg.aspx

Investopedia: Expectations, Not Performance, Eclipse Cree

It's pretty rare for a company at the leading edge of an emerging technology to have a smooth growth trajectory, and LED leader Cree (Nasdaq:CREE) has certainly had a few wobbles over the years. That said, Cree has established itself as one of the “Big Five” LED chip companies, one of the three major integrated LED lighting companies, and a leader in patents and technologies. Couple that with a greater than 10-year run of positive free cash flow and it's not hard to see why Cree is a go-to name for growth investors.

That popularity comes with a cost, though. It's exceedingly rare to see a company's stock rise more than 150% in 12 months and still have modest expectations and/or an undemanding valuation attached. Given that margins are a pressing concern with Cree and the company's guidance for the next quarter looked light, it's not too surprising to see the shares indicated down in pre-market trading.

Please click below to continue:
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/081513/expectations-not-performance-eclipse-cree-cree-phg-ge-etn.aspx