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Technology Stocks : Semi Equipment Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (17765)	8/8/2004 8:43:08 AM
From: robert b furman	Respond to of 95683

Once corporations have positive cash flow -they must: Reduce debt -much of which has been done Pay Dividend - some are doing Reinvest to maximize profitability and increase their personal income/wealth - what most will do. Hording cash gets management in trouble ie Msft. JMHO Manufacturing is on the rebound excepting autos - we never had a slow down in 01/02 due to 0.0 so now we're feeling the slight payback. Auto's is a huge chunk of it.Manufacturers over built in 04 model and have not wanted to increase rebates even though prices have slightly gone up.Management is struggling to get a bonus and it will lag a resumption of production in late 04 and 05. Job growth in manufacturing is the key to watch as tech sector communications sector reawaken and provide growth. These vibrant sectors have been no shows for 2-3 years and technology has evolved. Voice over Internet Protocol is actually growing fast as it provides big savings. Example at my dealership I have fax lines (probably pay $25-$ $30 per dedicated line)Ihave: 2 @ at F&I (new and used) 1 @ body shop 1 @ service dept 1 @ business office 2 @ salesmangers office 1 @ used managers office 1 @ service managers office 200-300 per month so all key managers can handle issues of money quickly. VOIP has black box that takes these 9 dedicated lines and puts them via router thru one existing internet line - instant savings. Couple that with sensors in the building that take a cell phone call ( I have 10 cell phones at work -some cost 35 some cost 75 depends on minutes of usage) and route it to a land line when my employee nears the building.So now I have unlimited minutes because my land line calls don't charge by the minute. All these savings can be had by investing in new technology -probably have a pay back in less than 2 years. Not a bad investment. These are the smart justified investments that will be made wether economy grows or not. That is what we're seeing now - much better than no investment or businesses going out of business. The evolution of technology is a self fulfilling growth story. We are in a recovery primed by stimulous - that stimulous is wearing off - but the pump has been primed and it is working just fine. When this oil price blow off gets over it'll be singing. We're throught he worst of it . IMO Bob