Tag - NASDAQCM:ARWR

This week, we feature three advisers who see large potential gains from the “smallest” of ideas—nanotechnology. This broad field involves the study and manipulation of matter at an atomic level. Given that this is a new and developing field, investors in nanotech should have a long-term view.

For those willing to incur the higher risks of selecting an individual stock in the nanotech space, we turn to two emerging growth experts. First, Gregg Early, editor of The Real Nanotech Investor, considers Maxwell Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: MXWL), a stock with a market cap of $246 million, among his favorite speculative buys.

“The company specializes in a very arcane field, even by nanotech standards. Maxwell is one of the few companies involved in developing capacitors and increasingly, ultracapacitors,” he said. “This new generation of capacitor has the potential to revolutionize motive and stationary power storage and distribution as we know it.”

According to Early, the company was recently awarded a contract by Mercedes Car Group to design and produce ultracapacitors for an advanced engineering hybrid-electric drive train program that increases fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.

“This is also a very good sign for Maxwell because its new CEO, David Schramm, hails from the auto industry,” he said. “Landing a deal with a major innovator like Mercedes is an optimistic sign of things to come.”

Continuing a streak of positive news, Irvine, Calif.-based Local.com Corp. (Nasdaq: LOCM) announced aesthetic and usability upgrades to its interactive mapping service.

Israeli DSL equipment maker Metalink Ltd. (Nasdaq: MTLK) announced that it’s working with Chinese wireless technology organization IGRS – the Intelligent Grouping and Resources Sharing Standardization Working Group – to provide HD-TV services for wireless home networks.

Solar energy equipment maker Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTI) reported it raised more than $20 million from the conversion of Class A public warrants.

Bank holding company First Indiana Corp. (Nasdaq: FINB) reported it’s being acquired by Milwaukee, Wis.-based holding company Marshall & Ilsley Corp. (NYSE: MI) for $32 per share, or about $529 million in cash.

The following are the most actively traded companies in Monday pre-market trading among those with market capitalizations under $500 million:

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (Nasdaq: AFOP) raised its revenue guidance for the quarter ended June 30, 2007.  The maker of fiber optic components expects to report net sales above $8.3 million, the company said this morning.  Analyst estimates were unavailable.  The stock has added $0.32, 18%, to $2.11.

Shares of Syntroleum Corp. (Nasdaq: SYNM), which develops a process for converting natural gas or gasified coal into synthetic liquid hydrocarbons, are higher on news this morning that the Tulsa, Okla.-based company has agreed to a $150 million venture with Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) to produce synthetic fuels for the renewable diesel, jet, and military fuel markets.

Shares of Progen Pharmaceuticals Limited (Nasdaq: PGLA) are down even though the Australian company announced earlier today it will aggressively fast-track the development of its liver cancer drug PI-88 into further trials after the success of a recent study.  Shares are down $0.14, or 1.80%, to $7.64.