Motley Fool crusade against Altair

Motley Fool did it again to Altair!... Such a systematic punishment - see our post "Why the Fools?..." of December 4, 2006... - can no longer be viewed as simple and pure harshness of analysis.

In the previous commentary, on August 24 2006, Jack Uldrich has pinpoint:

"The company only has about $14 million in cash on hand, and with a current burn rate of slightly more than $1 million a month, Gotcher must begin delivering within the next year." [bold ours]

Now, Uldrich states:

"(...) the company had raised an additional $23 million by offering 9.3 million shares at $2.70 apiece. This news, too, can be read a couple of different ways.
It might be good news to some, because it suggests that the company is on schedule to begin mass-producing its latest nanotechnology-related product -- its lithium-ion battery technology -- and needs money to ramp up for that purpose. For others, it could easily be viewed as the latest in a long line of management's attempts to bilk unsuspecting investors with the promise of a breakthrough technology.
Where do I land? Count me in the skeptical camp (...). Altair has been promising results for five years now, with nothing to show for it. Furthermore, for a company with paltry revenue, its stock -- even in its newly diluted state -- remains ridiculously expensive." [bold ours]

The future - the ultimate judge - will prove commercially viable products and financial results or that Jack Uldrich/Motley Fool crusade is right... I trust Altair.


Disclaimer: I own shares of Altair.

Sectors for investment #1

With this post, we begin looking for sectors that qualify for good opportunities of investment.

Sectors for Investment #1 - Nanotechnologies

The first that I pinpoint is the nanotechnology sector, which has made a long journey since prof. Norio Taniguchi of the Tokyo Science University coined the term in 1974.

More than genetics that once was viewed as a sure bet for growth investors until the public realized that it would be needed several years (10?...) to supply commercially viable products.

The sector of nanotechs that deals with pharmaceuticals has difficulties of the same kind that genetics: years ahead of research and test to get FDA approval. But nanotechs units researching in fields like energy, materials, information and communication, equipment, robotics, can meet investors' expectations of medium-term products' launch.