Hi freeus,
Most I cannot comment on regarding FA, since I really don't do much of this anymore. I'd be happy to look at the charts a bit later.
As far as long-term positions go, I think FA increasingly important, but not all important. I would encourage you to consult those far more knowledgeable than I regarding these companies and their outlook.
I think it wise to give some careful consideration to long term demographic and societal trends, to try to identify sectors which may do well over a long time period. There are, or course, many other considerations. I also think it wise to identify industry and sector leaders, and determine which of these might be likely to do well over a long period of time. Most already have, and that is a plus in my book. Leaders tend to remain leaders for long periods of time. The Gorilla threads are good places to identify possible long-term holdings as well.
And, I wouldn't underestimate the importance of diversification in a long-term portfolio.......
The gene stocks will continue on their roller-coaster ride for a while, IMHO. There are several reasons: 1) Wall Street has little comprehension of what they do and the value of it; 2) There are many players, and the sector is still looking towards a period of consolidation and weeding out before the dominant players emerge; 3) Much of what drives these stocks is similar to other sectors: momentum players/news, hype, etc. 4) The sector is very immature.
In my mind, the clearest candidate for dominance is CRA.
Regarding SUNW, GLW, QCOM, ORCL etc., no I don't think they are dead. But the hype surrounding the supposed rapid buildout of the fiber net and 3G wireless infrastructure is rapidly hitting the brick wall of economic reality and power politics. Most (or all) of these will nevertheless do well over time, so the cheaper they get, the more enticing they become.
JMVHO.......
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