THE FORTUNE MAKERS; IT'LL TAKE MORE THAN A CRYSTAL BALL TO PREDICT WHICH LOCAL COMPANY WILL FLOURISH IN THE COMING DECADE 8 LOCAL COMPANIES HAVE BRIGHT FUTURE.Byline: Chris Sieroty Staff Writer If the '80s was Disney's decade, and Amgen owned the '90s, which local company will dominate the first decade of the new millennium? Analysts, brokers and local market watchers have almost as many opinions as there are local, publicly traded companies publicly traded company A company whose shares of common stock are held by the public and are available for purchase by investors. The shares of publicly traded firms are bought and sold on the organized exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. . But most agree that whichever company produces quadruple-digit returns - as Disney and Amgen did in decades past - will have to dominate a growing industry or niche. Disney, after all, owned the family entertainment franchise in the '80s, and Amgen's two main drugs generated $1 billion each annually during the '90s. Analysts say area companies that could evolve into the Amgen of the '00s include MiniMed Inc., NetZero Inc., Salem Communications Salem Communications (NASDAQ: SALM) is a media company specializing in religious and conservative talk radio which operates in the United States, with 99 U.S. commercial radio stations (pending acquisitions) that are primarily concentrated in the nation's biggest markets, Corp. and California Amplifier. So, in no particular order, here are those companies (and their ticker symbols), along with analyst's expectations: --MiniMed Inc. (MNMD) Kurt Kurger, an analyst with Banc of America Securities in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden , said MiniMed is poised to profit from a growing awareness, particularly among health plans, of the need for aggressive treatment of diabetes types 1 and 2. ``It faces one of the fastest growing diseases in this country,'' said Kurger. Nearly 16 million Americans have diabetes, which can lead to serious complications such as blindness and kidney damage kidney damage Kidney injury Nephrology A structural or functional compromise in renal function due to external–eg, athletic, occupational, or other trauma, resulting in bruising or hemorrhage, which can be profuse and life threatening Etiology Vascular . MiniMed has developed an insulin infusion pump infusion pump A device designed to deliver drugs and/or 'biologicals', at low doses and at a constant or controllable rate; ↑ rates of delivery in such devices may be associated with local hemolysis, compromising the potential benefits of a calibrated delivery that eliminates the need for repeated daily injections of the glucose-regulating drug. Parallel to the pump, the company has been developing an implantable sensor for the continuous, real-time testing of a diabetic's blood sugar level. By combining that sensor with the pump, MiniMed hopes to produce the world's first artificial pancreas The artificial pancreas is a technology in development to help diabetic persons automatically control their blood glucose level by providing the substitute endocrine functionality of a healthy pancreas. , able to simultaneously monitor and adjust a diabetic's glucose level. Analysts predict the Sylmar-based company, founded by Alfred Mann, will grow at an annual rate of 40 to 50 percent for the next several years as more diabetes-control products are introduced. Kurger said he expects MiniMed's revenue to increase by 45 percent next year and by 57 percent in 2001. ``There's no let-up in demand for their product,'' said Marc Davis This article is about the Disney animator. For other uses, see Marc Davis (disambiguation). Marc Fraser Davis (March 30, 1913 – January 12, 2000) was a prominent artist and animator for Walt Disney Studios. , an analyst for BC Ziegler in Milwaukee. --Homestore.com (HOMS) The Thousand Oaks-based company is the parent of some of the top real estate on the Web, literally. It operates: Realtor.com, which lists 1.4 million homes out of 1.5 million available nationally; HomeBuilder.com, which lists more than 100,000 newly constructed homes; SpringStreet.com, which lists rental properties in more than 6,000 cities; and CommercialSource.com, which provides links to commercial property listings. ``We believe Homestore.com could successfully offer the services related to all aspects of homeowners' needs throughout their housing life cycles,'' said Michael Graham Michael Graham is an American author, columnist, and conservative talk radio personality on Boston's WTKK-FM (96.9). He authors a twice-weekly column for the Boston Herald. Career Graham was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in South Carolina. , an analyst with Robertson Stephens in San Francisco. --Vitesse Semiconductor (VTSS VTSS Vehicle Theft Security System VTSS Vancouver Technical Secondary School ) Based in Camarillo, Vitesse makes digital chips called gallium arsenide integrated circuits, which perform at higher speeds than silicon chips and are priced accordingly. The company sells its chips to telecommunications equipment companies such as Lucent Technologies and Ericsson. After a recent meeting with company executives, Merrill Lynch analysts Joe Osha and Mark Lipacis increased their near-term rating to buy from accumulate, while still maintaining their long-term rating of buy. --Xircom Inc. (XIRC) Xircom Inc. designs and develops products that connect mobile users worldwide to corporate networks, the Internet and other online resources. The Thousand Oaks-based company sells and supports its products in more than 100 countries, including Japan and Singapore. ``Operationally, the company is really humming. They're doing very well,'' said analyst Michael Whitney of Advest Inc. --NetZero Inc. (NZRO) Based in Westlake Village, NetZero provides free Internet access. In exchange, users must provide the company with personal information when they sign up and access to a list of Web sites they visited while online. NetZero uses the information to direct advertising toward the member's screen, with ads appearing in a small, ever-present window that overlaps the browser. NetZero is available in more than 1,600 cities nationwide. Shares of NetZero spiked in mid-December when the company announced it is the new sponsor of the half-time show on NBC's National Basketball Association National Basketball Association (NBA) U.S. professional basketball league. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of two rival organizations, the National Basketball League (founded 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (1946). telecasts. NetZero lost most of that gain, however, after other Internet service providers Internet service provider (ISP) Company that provides Internet connections and services to individuals and organizations. For a monthly fee, ISPs provide computer users with a connection to their site (see data transmission), as well as a log-in name and password. announced the creation of similar, free ISP service. --Salem Communications Corp. (SALM) The Camarillo-based company is one of the nation's leading radio broadcasters, focusing on Christian and family oriented content. It owns 46 radio stations nationwide. It also owns the Salem Radio Network, which produces and syndicates Christian-based talk, news and music programs to some 1,100 affiliated stations. The company has expanded into electronic publishing, magazine publishing and e-commerce through a number of acquisitions. ``Their future looks bright,'' said Paul Sweeney, an analyst with Salomon Smith Barney in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . ``Salem has carved out a leading position in the Christian broadcasting arena and is looking to extend its franchise.'' --California Amplifier (CAMP) The Camarillo-based company, also known as CalAmp, markets and manufactures microwave amplifiers, converters, antennas and systems for satellite television and Earth-based wireless applications. ``We see them becoming a major player in broadband access through their wireless technology,'' said Matt Robison, an analyst at Baltimore-based Ferris, Baker Watts Inc. California Amplifier's technology is a clear economic alternative to fiber optics fiber optics, transmission of digitized messages or information by light pulses along hair-thin glass fibers. Each fiber is surrounded by a cladding having a high index of refractance so that the light is internally reflected and travels the length of the fiber , he said. --MRV Communications (MRVC MRVC Multiple Rate Voice Card ) Based in Chatsworth, the company makes switching equipment and fiber optic systems that improve the performance of networks. MRV MRV minute respiratory volume. also operates a Web site that allows businesses to buy and sell technology products. ``People are finally starting to recognize this company,'' Dan Schwartz, a money manager at York Capital Management, told CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. MarketWatch last week. CAPTION(S): drawing Drawing: (color) no cutline (Cartoon-like fortune teller) |
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