Spintronics sounds like something out of kiddie cartoons or science fiction. By reading not just the charge but also the esoteric spin of electrons, you can pull off new electromagnetic stunts, including the creation of semiconductors and magnetic storage that's many times more efficient than what we have today.
But it isn't science fiction. Technology giants Honeywell
In the shadow of these titans, you'll find spintronics expert NVE
Third-quarter sales stopped at just $6.2 million, down from $8 million a year ago. Not only is the addressable market for NVE's spintronic sensors and MRAM patents very small today, but the order flow is also very lumpy.
Investors looking for the next technology revolution may be reminded of OLED researcher Universal Display
The biggest difference between the two technology revolutionaries is that Universal Display just started turning a profit as Samsung and others ramp up their OLED orders. NVE, on the other hand, started turning a profit in 2003 and never looked back. This quarter, earnings fell 32% year over year to $0.47 per share due to fixed costs and highly variable sales, but the ink remains black. It's hard to complain about 37% net margins in a bad quarter.
In other spintronics news, Freescale Semiconductor
This spintronics stuff certainly isn't boring. Add NVE and Freescale to your watchlist so you don't miss a beat as this immature technology grows up. Or skip ahead to discover the next rule-breaking multibagger on our high-growth newsletter's scorecard.