Cree Stock

[buickid]

CREE

[LightJaguar]

I'm no big-time investor, but purchased a few shares of CREE stock a couple months ago and have been very pleased to see how well it has done in a market that is generally declining.

With flashlight manufacturers having a hard time getting enough CREE LED's to make their products and the US government awarding CREE a contract to replace existing lighting at the pentagon with LED fixtures, I decided to buy some shares because it seems to me that CREE has more demand than they can supply and they are perfectly positioned to receive more and more of these government contracts since they are the major US company manufacturing LED lighting fixtures.

If the new president creates incentives for the rest of us to make the switch to LED's for our homes as well as government buildings, CREE will definitely be on the winning side of the economy.

Anyway, just curious if other people here have used their knowledge of flashlights and LED's to make financial decisions?

I work in Newport Beach, California and there was a recent article in the local newspaper about that whole green environmental federal stimulus. It seems like Newport Beach has been upgrading their street and parking lot lights to LED fixtures in order to save money on energy. It looks like city council was debating whether to apply that money towards finishing that upgrade sooner to get the savings faster.
At my work they have installed some LED fixtures in a new building that they just finished.

[DM51]

Moving this to the Cafe.

[o0o]

I've done very well over the years in another high tech stock, FLIR-- which makes thermal imaging equipment for military, police, and civilians (some BMWs now use FLIR cameras).

Now I'm thinking about researching Cree a bit--I really like their products -- and they appear to be the leaders in LED technology. In your views, does this company have long term competitive advantages over their competition?


I have lots of safer blue chips such as MCD, PG, PEP, etc.... the one area I need to diversify more in is the higher risk/larger reward smaller caps.

[Empath]

Several threads with this same topic have been merged.

[GaryF]

Yeah, that down market in 2008 took most everything with it. Nice bounce back though, for the markets and for CREE, which is now at $63+
Don't get too greedy though, a part of successful investing is knowing when to take some off the table.

[LEDninja]

Don't get too greedy though, a part of successful investing is knowing when to take some off the table.

When the stock doubles sell half. That way you get your original investment back and won't lose money if the stock crashes.

[bob_ninja]

Cree, Inc.

(Public, NASDAQ:CREE)

CREE 62.71 -1.66%

Pre-market: 52.80 -9.91 (-15.80%)

Jan 19, 8:34AM EST

NASDAQ real-time data



Getting hammered -16%



I don't normally watch it, just noticed a headline. That is a lot of pain for Cree company and its shareholders. I thought they are doing well, no?



Comments?

[Nedtheshred]

What is the problem with CREE's stock.

I'm down over $12K now...guess I'll be riding it all the way down, too late to jump off. I just can't believe it. Should have bought six TRI-V instead, would have been a way better investment.

Come on CREE!!!

[jellydonut]

Cree is a high-volume, low-margin company. It's not gonna act like AAPL..

[beerwax]

.....

[Phredd]

to make money out of cree you would have to have cree crack a big market (eg domestic lighting) and then successfully defend that against clones.

the defending is the hard part.

i put it in the 'high risk' category.

still there will be guys on here with particular insight into the business/technology .

Those who bought in 2007 when this thread started certainly had the opportunity make quite a bit.

[jellydonut]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...129_86268.html

[Marcturus]

Stock seems(!) to have bottomed [...]. Anyone more technically minded care to comment?
__
Duh... just noticed I confused one chart line with another.

So let me add that I was neither short nor long Cree or any competitor around 05-18-2011. Again, I'm not calling it a bottom, please do your own research.

[Marcturus]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ana...in-2011-05-24?

"We have finally confirmed that Cree has indeed won GE's 60W replacement bulb business"

Why isn't Cree commenting? Was it such a bad deal?

[LuxLuthor]

You have to remember that the stock market for average consumers is only slightly better than making a casino bet on the roulette wheel. By the time the "Real News" (after stock manipulators making their plays) reaches the masses, it will often be detrimental to an investment.

[IMSabbel]

You have to remember that the stock market for average consumers is only slightly better than making a casino bet on the roulette wheel. By the time the "Real News" (after stock manipulators making their plays) reaches the masses, it will often be detrimental to an investment.

Only if you try hollywood stock trading.
If you are reacting to news events, you will lose.
Buy and hold _never_ failed me. You just have to use some common sense when looking at the company and their current market capitalization. Some of my stocks were below buying level at some times, but if you dont realize it you dont lose.

There is _one_ stock that is down from my initial purchase 6 years ago, but it has a divident yield of about 8%, so nothing to complain in light of the current interest situation.

[Marcturus]

(after stock manipulators making their plays) reaches the masses

Thanks for the link, "marketwatch".com ought to change its name for not adding the other side of the story.

[Marcturus]

Stock bounced after what looks like a double bottom.

Or was anyone impressed by their cylindrical "bulb" that just happens to be a bit late for winning the L-prize, or their xt-e-royale and patents, or their financials
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cre...011-2011-08-09
?

[blasterman]

Stock prices have increasingly little to do with the quality of products produced by a tech company, and I'm surprised there are still people who don't get this. It's when companies start paying more attention to their stock price and short term gimmicks to elevate that their product quality typically falls.

[Marcturus]

It's when companies start paying more attention to their stock price and short term gimmicks to elevate that their product quality typically falls.

Are you considering the color separation issue of the XM-L to already be such a case?

[mikedeason]

Dont know if this will be deleted or locked but I find this interesting.

Knowing nothing about flashlights I came here, did lots of reading and kept seeing Cree mentioned over and over. I even started to notice Cree on some lights from Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

Just took a look at their stock prices and they have a 52 week hight at around $72 and are currently at $23!

I know this trends with the economic turn but this seems harh and looks (to me) only positive for future returns.

Any thoughts?

[mikedeason]

Basically, I would like some opinions on why this is or is not a buy now.

Seems to me everything flashlight uses a Cree.

[Burgess]

Here's a thread on Cree stock:


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ree-stock-ouch

[mikedeason]

I am going to buy 1k shares.

Dont see how it can lose...will turn it short because i dont know enough about where the tech is going.

[mikedeason]

Thanks im really itching on this one.

unless I'm missing something this stock can only go up.

Their LED's are EVERYWHERE

[Robin24k]

While a lot of flashlights use Cree LEDs, that's only a small portion of the LED business. LEDs are used even more heavily in OEM applications (think automotive, fixed lighting, electronics), and there's quite a bit of competition. I would be a little more cautious with your outlook.

[mikedeason]

I agree...I don't understand how this stock ever reached the $80 mark.

But at $20 it sure seems like a steal especially since the cheap chinese knockoff lights i saw at Wal Mart and DealExtreme are using the Cree's...Sigh

[Robin24k]

Prevalence doesn't necessarily mean profit, just look at HP's Personal Computing Division. They may be #1 in PC sales, but they are thinking about selling the division because profits aren't great.

[mikedeason]

thanks for bringing me back to earth.

Saw the $80 high and now at $20.

Reality for Cree may be around $45...still seems like a winner