Abb Share Discussion Threads

[sheeneqa] 16/12/2008 13:20

Hi waldron.....

ABB wins $87 million order in U.S. to expand capacity of power transmission system
Expansion to increase supply of renewable energy to Los Angeles

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 16, 2008 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $87 million to expand and strengthen the power transmission network in the area of Los Angeles, California, so that it can deliver more electricity from renewable sources.
The capacity of the 22-year-old Intermountain Power Project Southern Transmission System will be increased by 25 percent to 2,400 megawatts by 2010. The upgrade is part of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's (LADWP) goal to bring 20 percent of power to customers from renewable energy sources by the end of the decade.

"ABB is proud to be a part of this project, which is very much in line with our focus on increasing energy efficiency and leveraging the power of renewables," said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.

Intermountain Power Agency and LADWP, the operating agent, selected ABB to upgrade the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) system with a state-of-the-art control and protection system, MACH2, as well as efficient cooling systems for the valves that convert the current from AC to DC and back, and additional AC filters to strengthen the quality of the power supply.

ABB pioneered HVDC transmission technology more than 50 years ago and has extensive experience in both new installations and refurbishments in the sector. ABB remains the world leader in this high-efficiency technology, with over 60 HVDC projects around the world, providing a total transmission capacity of more than 48,000 MW.

The project implementation for LADWP will cause minimal disruption to existing services, with 75 percent of the system's capacity being maintained during the refurbishment. LADWP, the largest municipal utility in the U.S., delivers reliable water and electric service to around 3.8 million residents and businesses.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power

[waldron] 11/12/2008 15:56

cheers she

take care.

[sheeneqa] 11/12/2008 15:49

aBB helps mega-gardens grow
2008-12-11 - Two mega-greenhouse projects in the Netherlands and the U.K. – each the size of 70 soccer fields and thought to be the largest in the world – have selected a range of ABB products to ensure reliability at their power-exporting, CO2-recycling facilities.

By ABB Communications

The two projects – Thanet Earth in the U.K. and Luttelgeest in the Netherlands – bring industrial-size economies of scale to market gardening for the first time by combining new growing methods as well as the ability to capture and sell surplus electricity generated onsite to the local power grid.



Farmers on the Isle of Thanet in the U.K. have built a sprawling, 220-acre greenhouse complex that will hold 1.3 million plants upon completion, and grow vegetables all year round. Click here for a full size view of Thanet Earth.Thanet Earth, for instance, will not only increase the U.K.'s annual crop of salad vegetables by a gigantic 15 percent, it will export enough electricity to power 50,000 British homes. The figures for the Luttelgeest project are similarly huge.

The principle is that each giant greenhouse – a complex of seven buildings forming the 92-hectare Thanet Earth site, and a mammoth 43-hectare single structure at Luddelgeest – will be equipped with a combined heat and power plant to provide the electricity and heat needed to grow vegetables all year round.

The surplus electricity generated – which can be as much as 95 percent of capacity – can be sold to the local power grid. Carbon dioxide produced by the generator exhaust gases is recycled to fertilize the plants.

Since electricity occupies a pivotal role in the business model, the power supply to the greenhouses and the grid has to be reliable, and is a vital part of the process.
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"ABB is the market leader in medium voltage products and UniGear is the world's biggest selling medium voltage air insulated switchgear. Market gardeners all over the Netherlands rely on ABB switchgear to help them produce 25 percent of the world's tomatoes and a third of the world's peppers and cucumbers "
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Both Thanet Earth and Luttelgeest have ensured the reliability of their power supply with ABB's UniGear ZS1 medium voltage switchgear.

UniGear is the most widely used medium voltage air insulated switchgear in the world.

Launched in 2004 as the first modular medium voltage switchgear platform, the uniquely compact cubicles consist of standardized units that are easily assembled and configured to meet precise customer specifications.

Each of the two greenhouse projects will use up to 28 UniGear ZS1 switchgear cubicles to secure power reliability at the greenhouses.

In addition ABB is supplying 36 A140-H turbochargers to improve the output and operating efficiency of the 18 power generators at Luttelgeest.

The first crop of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers is scheduled for 2009 at both locations.

Grown hydroponically in nutrient-rich water rather than soil, the crops are suspended on frames at waist height to facilitate picking.

[waldron] 21/11/2008 13:10

Published November 19, 2008 | A A A Mutual Funds by Rob Wherry (Author Archive)
Stimulus Plan May Lift Infrastructure Plays
There's a long list of things Barack Obama would like to accomplish once he takes over the Oval Office in January. No doubt sitting squarely at the top of that list is getting the economy moving in the right direction.

A step toward achieving that goal would be to unveil the stimulus plan that was talked about on the campaign trail by the president-elect and more recently by his advisory team. While it's still too early to know what form a plan like this would take -- much less its price tag -- it would probably focus on infrastructure projects across the country, both building new bridges, roads and municipal systems and repairing outdated ones. In the process, the plan could potentially create thousands of jobs and at least kick-start the economy until other initiatives took hold.

"It makes a lot of sense to use [a stimulus] to spur the economy along," says Michael Church, a portfolio manager at Church Capital Management in Yardley, Pa.

There's an investing adage being bandied about these days amidst all the talk of bailout plans: Buy what the government is buying. That saying could easily be extrapolated to include infrastructure, as well. While there are certain risks involved with playing this theme -- Obama hasn't even been sworn in yet -- there are plenty of investors who are taking a serious look at individual companies in the sector, mutual funds and ETFs that focus on it, too, with an eye toward getting in early in anticipation of an announcement in 2009.

Infrastructure is a broad investment category and one that is sorely in need of investment, even before talk of a stimulus was broached. Traditionally, it includes all the construction and engineering firms that specialize in public works projects and the suppliers of concrete, steel, heavy equipment and manpower that go into bringing the projects to fruition. Infrastructure can also encompass electrical grids and utilities, water and sewer systems, energy pipelines, and solar and wind assets. It's a vast sector and one that's aging. A study by the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated $1.6 trillion is needed to get the country's bridges, roads and other systems up to acceptable levels.

There are some obvious major players in the infrastructure space. Fluor (FLR: 29.56, -2.35, -7.36%) is a sprawling construction and engineering firm that's been doing these types of projects for almost a century. General Electric (GE: 12.74*, -1.71, -11.83%), Siemens (SI: 47.75, -1.97, -3.96%), ABB (ABB: 9.12, -0.58, -5.97%), Shaw Group (SGR: 12.06, -0.80, -6.22%) and Australia's Macquarie are similar big players. There are thousands of smaller firms, too. Aqua America (WTR: 18.92, -0.93, -4.68%) provides water and waste-water services to 2.8 million customers. American Superconductor (AMSC: 8.55, -0.53, -5.83%) makes state-of-the-art power cables that can deliver 10 times the juice of existing wires.

It's debatable whether individual companies like those, a fund covering them or their competitors, or even an investment at all is the smartest move. That's because there are plenty of risks associated with jumping into the infrastructure space. The biggest being the uncertainty that comes with politics. There's no telling when or if a bill will be passed (and if the country can afford it). In addition, infrastructure projects typically can't get past the drawing board overnight. So even if money is earmarked for these types of projects it may take time before there are any groundbreakings. And the sector tends to be closely linked to energy. A new natural gas pipeline or solar or wind assets sound like great ideas when oil is inching toward $150 a barrel. The talk, though, dies down when the price craters (as it has recently) or energy demands ebb.

Of course, there are considerable attributes that counter all that. The Wall Street Journal reported that Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin, two key Obama economic advisors, seemed to give their support to a stimulus plan during a panel discussion on Monday. The Journal said estimates for the size of a plan are in the $500 billion to $700 billion range. And as unemployment rises, such a plan would be an easy way to put some people back to work. The economy would get a jolt right off the bat in 2009 and (hopefully) benefit in the long run, too. And, of course, energy prices can certainly go right back up.

One of the simplest ways to play the infrastructure theme is through a series of funds that own a basket of stocks. You will find, though, that most of the options are "global" in span. That presents a dilemma: Will a globally focused ETF benefit from a U.S.-centric plan? The world's economies are more closely linked than ever. But we think the pop may be muted when only a few holdings in the portfolios are located in the U.S. Of course, the world could follow our lead. Indeed, China recently announced a massive almost $600 billion plan. A globally-focused fund also means you have to do homework on, say, German utility E.ON and try to determine if it's undervalued and the portfolio is, too. The diversification aspect is nice. Remember, though, we are talking about a U.S. stimulus plan, at least for the time being.

Kensington Global Infrastructure (KGIAX) and Kinetics Water Infrastructure (KWINX) are two mutual fund options. Fund investors looking for a more narrowly defined play could opt for sector funds like Fidelity Select Construction & Housing (FSHOX). It owns companies like Fluor. But the portfolio also features homebuilders and companies like Home Depot (HD: 18.52, -1.24, -6.27%), so it won't be an infrastructure pure-play.

There are also ETFs to consider. The iShares S&P Global Infrastructure fund (IGF: 24.94, -1.17, -4.48%) tracks an index of 77 companies including Macquarie, E.ON, Williams Cos. (WMB: 12.13, -2.40, -16.51%) and Exelon (EXC: 45.19*, -4.04, -8.20%), the latter two being energy companies located here in the U.S. It charges $48 a year for every $10,000 invested. First Trust ISE Global Engineering & Construction (FLM: 21.98, -1.85, -7.76%) has an underlying index of 68 firms. It's geared toward more of the companies that do the dirty work vs. those that run the finished projects. State Street also markets the SPDR FTSE/Macquarie Global Infrastructure 100 ETF (GII: 36.03*, -0.97, -2.62%). It primarily invests in utilities.

In the end, investors need to weigh whether they are looking for a short-term pop or a long-term holding. A stimulus plan of some sort seems like a done deal. But given the bailout tab the U.S. has already rung up the last few months, it's debatable whether the country can continue to invest in these projects far into the horizon. Indeed, that could make infrastructure a hot sector that quickly cools off.

"Infrastructure typically sounds better than it is when it is implemented," says Lawrence Glazer, managing partner of Mayflower Advisors in Boston.

[waldron] 17/11/2008 12:26

2009
February 12 Fourth-quarter and full-year 2008 results
April 23 First-quarter 2009 results
May 5 Annual General Meeting Zurich/Switzerland
May 6 Annual general information meeting Västerås/Sweden
July 23 Second-quarter 2009 results
October 29 Third-quarter 2009 results

[grupo guitarlumber] 03/11/2008 12:02

News and commentary
When the Economy Turns, ABB Will Be Among the First in Line
By Judy Alster
Updated: Monday, November 03 2008 01:11:AM

(Close This)


Look on the bright side: Eventually the lights will have to go on again all over the world, which is why investors should be positioned in one or two industrial stocks that pay them while they're waiting. A stock we took a profit in from the now-closed 21st Century Investor Mid-Cap Value Portfolio deserves a look: Swiss-Swedish power and automation giant ABB, Ltd. (NYSE: ABB). Recent performance has been very good, with third quarter revenue up 22%, profit up over 25% and earnings per share up 32%.

The company says it benefited from continuing demand for reliable electrical power generation and environmental technologies, leading to 7% growth in total orders. So why is the stock fully 60% off its May high? The usual gang of suspects: the global credit mess, falling commodity prices and economic worries in general have affected orders for large-scale projects, knocking organic growth down to 1%.

ABB is essentially a play on global growth, which cannot stay down forever. ABB leads in electrical transmission and distribution for companies who want to increase generation and transmission capabilities, replace inefficient systems or integrate new possibilities such as wind farms into the grid. It also provides process control for energy and mining, robotics for the automotive industry (it too will revive, albeit in a condensed version), and motors, drives and electrical products for countless industrial companies.

When the global economy gets moving, it is precisely ABB's customers who will wake up first, making it a good candidate for further research. The company's price to sales ratio is a low 0.88, it's drenched in cash, hasn't much debt at all for a firm its size, and its 38% return on equity runs lazy circles around the competition. At Friday's $13.15 it's paying a 47-cent or 3.5% dividend, which is paid annually, as is the case with many non-US companies. Those who don't mind losing a few basis points of yield might wait until the stock closes consistently above $14, as there's no guarantee it has reached a floor.

[waldron] 27/10/2008 06:56

ABB downgraded to "hold"
10/24/08 - ING Financial Markets
LONDON, October 24 (newratings.com) - Analysts at ING Financial Markets downgrade ABB Ltd (ABJ) from "buy" to "hold." The target price has been reduced from CHF22 to CHF19.

In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company's large orders fell substantially in 3Q08, mainly on account of the Power Systems segment. ABB did not give assurances regarding its short-term prospects during its conference call on Wednesday, the analysts say. There is no visibility into the period of credit crunch and the consensus expectations for the company are still too high, ING Financial Markets adds.


Get the full coverage! What do all 3 analysts say? overview...
ABBN | avg. rating: 83.33% | avg. target price: CHF 19.00

[sheeneqa] 16/10/2008 20:57

ABB wins marine orders worth $75 million
Zurich, Switzerland, Oct. 16, 2008 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won orders worth a total of $75 million to supply propulsion, power-generation and power-distribution systems for several new vessels to be built in South Korea.

[waldron] 16/10/2008 09:19

October 23 Third-quarter 2008 results

[sheeneqa] 30/9/2008 11:56

ABB wins power orders worth $75 million in U.S.
Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 30, 2008 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, has won orders worth a total of $75 million from Oncor Electric Delivery for technology to maintain the reliability of the grid in the north Texas area while lowering environmental impact.

[sheeneqa] 26/9/2008 12:49

ABB wins $36-million solar power order in China
Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 25, 2008 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won a contract with LDK Solar worth more than $36 million to supply electrical systems, equipment and related engineering and project management services for a new production plant in Xinyu City, China.

[waldron] 14/9/2008 12:35

September 12, 2008 - 6:50 PM
Record-breaking cable laid
The Swiss technology concern ABB has set a new record in cable laying.
The world's longest underwater power cable linking Norway and the Netherlands was officially inaugurated on Friday, the company announced.

The NordNed link, which is 580 km in length, will supply the Dutch grid with power from Norwegian hydroelectric stations to make up shortfalls during peak periods.

ABB says that the use of hydroelectricity will make it possible to cut CO2 emissions by nearly 1.7 million tonnes annually.

The cable has a transmission capacity of 700 megawatts, which is also a record.

It is part of plans by the European Union to improve the reliability of the power supply in all member countries and to create a continent-wide environmentally-friendly network.

Related storiesFirms work on producing tomorrow's engineers
ABB lands huge contract from Qatar

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[sheeneqa] 05/9/2008 19:26

Emerging economies around the world are spending big money - at twice the rate of developed economies - to upgrade their infrastructure. Why? A study by the World Bank estimates that adding 1% to a nation's infrastructure "stock" results in a similar 1% gain in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Two Best Places for Your Money Right Now

Now some of this is unnerving and downright scary, but here's the good news: The energy and infrastructure sectors represent perhaps the two best places to put your money for the foreseeable future...

Why? Energy and infrastructure have an incestuous relationship: You need energy to create infrastructure, and you need good infrastructure to move the energy to where it's needed. One can't exist without the other.

More importantly, the world needs cheap energy not just to function, but also to spur global economic growth. Emerging economies need good infrastructure for the same reasons. Look at all the countries in the world, and you'll find the one's with developed economies also are the ones with good infrastructure and cheap energy.

Roads, bridges, railways, ship ports, airports, electrical grids and pipelines are all examples of the types of infrastructure projects underway all over the world, but especially so in developing countries.

Think about this: China spent more on infrastructure in the last five years than in all of the 20th century. And it's just getting started.

If history is any guide, mankind will continue to improve himself and the environment around him, and the transformation will offer opportunities for investors taking note... I'll be writing more about energy and infrastructure in the coming weeks and months. We'll delve into both sectors in detail and take a look at some of the exciting investments each has to offer.

We'll be keeping watch on these equipment, crane and drilling companies powering our future...

Good investing,

David

[sheeneqa] 05/9/2008 15:03

Buy, Sell or Hold: ABB Ltd.
By Horacio Marquez
Contributing Editor


When I coined the term "global synchronic growth" a few years back, I must have had ABB Ltd. (ADR: ABB) in mind. Global synchronic growth is the simultaneous expansion of most of the major economic zones around the world, which spurs investment and creates vast amounts of wealth. Up until now, this development has been largely a consequence of the pro-growth policies adopted by the "Group of Eight," or G8, countries, as well as accelerating growth in the increasingly important "BRIC" economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Going forward, however, investors can expect an additional boost from a $40 trillion global infrastructure boom. And one of the biggest beneficiaries from this massive surge in infrastructure outlays will be Zurich-based ABB, a leading global provider of electrical-system services and components.

With a market value of roughly $63 billion, ABB is the world's leading builder of power networks, making it one of the real heavyweights in a sector that includes such rivals as America's General Electric Co. (GE) and Germany's Siemens AG (ADR: SI). ABB is truly global in focus.

Over the last several months, for example, ABB has announced deals of $233 million in Korea, $74 million in India, $170 million in the Sweden-Finland region, $53 million in Dubai, and $70 million in China, just to name a few.

Infrastructure modernization is one area of economic development in which no country with global-growth aspirations can afford to lag. And that's especially true when it comes to power generation, where the consequences of neglect can be huge. Research demonstrates an almost perfect correlation between electricity-demand growth and economic growth. In recent years, we've seen blackouts from Barcelona to Johannesburg, with measurable fallout each time.




BRIC economies such as China and India, which are expanding at rates of 9%-10% annually, are consuming massive amounts of additional power to make that happen. Energy is in the headlines every day, with crude oil establishing new record highs virtually every day. In fact, the World Energy Outlook from the International Energy Agency points to China and India as the areas of highest growth in energy infrastructure for decades to come - and ABB is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this.

And that's what makes ABB such a great stock, especially right now.

Unlike consumer-oriented markets - where a large percentage of the spending is discretionary, and gets cut back when times get tough - infrastructure spending is a virtual necessity, meaning governments and companies cannot cut back on their outlays for roadways, water systems and power-generation-and-distribution systems.

And we have a huge trend towards urbanization in China and India that will continue strongly, despite the current market turmoil. To give you an idea, China and India will account for 45% of the $22 trillion investment in infrastructure needed to meet demand growth over the next 20 years. And both countries are awash in money that can be deployed into infrastructure projects.




ABB is a company of superlatives. They have been in business for 120 years and now lead the world markets in both power-transmission and power-management systems, as well as in industrial-automation products and systems. In power, about a quarter of the company's sales emanate from high-growth Asia and about a half come from Europe. In the automation field - where growth is steady, though unspectacular - ABB has installed more than $100 billion of these systems through the years, which at least provides the company with an ongoing source of revenue for replacement parts.

ABB spends as much time focusing on internal improvements as it does on market opportunities. It constantly re-examines its "core competencies" to make sure it remains at the head of the pack, and it also strives to consistently improve its internal operational efficiency.

These initiatives are leading to an ongoing expansion in ABB's profit margins. That, in turn, should boost ABB's competitive position vis-à-vis the very few other global firms that have the ability to tackle the massively complex, highly technical power projects that are being built in the emerging markets today.

We like ABB's clear commitment to its shareholders. Back in April, the company said that sales growth would average 8%-11% a year for the period from 2007-2011. Profits will advance at an even-brisker 11%-16% during the same period. The company also announced plans to buy back $2 billion worth of its own shares - almost always a positive sign for stockholders.

At ABB's annual shareholders' meeting in May, interim Chief Executive Officer Michel Demare said the company is "relatively little exposed" to the global financial crisis and noted that powerful global trends are in place to support the company's business for years to come. The firm's first-quarter revenue rose 17% on a year-over-year basis, and net income reached $1 billion, a jump of 87%. Orders rose 16%, topping the $10 billion mark for the first time ever.

ABB still intends to create 20,000 new jobs over the next five years, in order to deliver on those strategic objectives.
At Friday's close of $27.37, ABB's shares are down about 18% from their 52-week high of $33.39, and are 34% above their 12-month low of $20.42.

In terms of the valuation on ABB's shares, you have to take a very close look at the ultra-low "PEG" ratio (Price/Earnings ratio divided by the Earnings Growth Rate). For a company of this quality, a PEG ratio of 1.0 or less is a steal - and ABB is trading at 0.79!

As we noted earlier, ABB should deliver double-digit growth this year, which means that the stock should rally nicely from its current level. The next earnings report is scheduled for July 24, and we're expecting the results to beat expectations. Analysts are anticipating a good quarter and are raising earnings estimates.

To be sure, ABB does face some challenges. There's a slowdown in Europe. Authorities in China and India are actively battling inflation, which might cause these economies to slow. However, these slight slowdowns shouldn't affect ABB in a meaningful way, given the huge deficiencies in infrastructure that both these countries face, and the overall global push for additional generating capacity for clean, reliable power.

We would advise investors to buy ABB shares up to $30 a share; but given the current market volatility, and the fact that the stock already has consolidated, look for downdrafts in the stock price to establish an initial position or to pick up additional shares. Cautious investors might want to wait and see the results of the quarterly report - if the announcement is close at hand, as it is, now (the risk, of course, is that investors who follow this strategy could well pay a higher price in return for added degree of certainty that comes with knowing the actual results).
Action to Take: BUY ABB. Investors should plug into this global supplier of power-generating systems.

[Editor's Note: Horacio Marquez was working as a vice president of the Merrill Lynch Emerging Markets Fixed Income Group in 1994 when he correctly predicted that both Argentina and Mexico were headed for currency crises - cementing his reputation as an expert on both the emerging markets and on the nuances of global




Cutting-edge power cable from ABB
Sept. 5 - ABB's high-voltage power cable factory in Sweden is one of the most modern cable factories and has supplied dozens of power projects around the world, including the 580-km link that now connects the power grids of Norway and the Netherlands. NorNed, the world's longest submarine power link, passed operational tests at the end of June.