Every Sunday on <I>TSC</I>: Sector Spotlight

By TSC Staff ,

Each week,

TheStreet.com

takes an in-depth look at a particular market sector.

Sector Spotlight

shines a light on the issues that face the companies in that industry and how they affect valuations. What new technology is on the horizon? Who's winning the big contracts? How will changes in the economic climate affect this sector? A

TSC

industry expert will answer these questions and more.

This Week in Sector Spotlight

Tim Arango

checks out the

retail sector, where women's wear is looking like a good place to invest.

Previously in Sector Spotlight

Eileen Kinsella

looks at the core

brokerage businesses, which continue to suffer with the depressed market.

George Mannes

examines the competitive situation between

satellite TV companies EchoStar and Hughes Electronics.

George Mannes

takes a look at

video-on-demand, which continues to fall short of fans' hopes and dreams.

Tim Arango

checks out the

specialty apparel retailers, which have been swimming upstream against a tide of bad news.

Adam Feuerstein

examines

drug companies, whose fundamentals remain strong, with patent expirations the one worry.

George Mannes

looks at

Internet advertising, which could stabilize and even grow after further consolidation, layoffs and shutdowns.

Tom Lepri

examines the good news and the bad news for

PC makers.

Adrienne Sanders

looks at

software companies, such as

Microsoft

, that are tying their future to the Net.

Caroline Humer

takes a look at

semiconductor companies, whose future looks even worse since the telecos have pulled back on spending.

Eileen Kinsella

examines the

banks, whose balance sheets could be even more strained by disappointments at the likes of Lucent.

Joe Bousquin

looks at

business software companies, whose stocks are beginning to return to

normal.

Carolyn Koo

examines the

wireless infrastructure sector, where Ericsson, Nortel and their ilk will be stung by wireless carriers' delay in ramping up third-generation networks.

Tim Arango

takes a look at the

retail sector, which is starting to show new life after the Fed's rate cuts.

George Mannes

looks at

vertical portals, which are discovering that a narrow focus is not the way to a high stock price.

Tom Lepri examines

data storage companies, which claim that their growth is showing no signs of abating.

Scott Moritz

looks at the

networking sector, which is planning on a second-half bounce that may not materialize.

Adrienne Sanders

sizes up the opponents in the battle for the

video console market.

Caroline Humer

examines the

semiconductor sector, which is looking to flash memory for strength as demand for other chips slows.

Dan Colarusso

examines the

big brokerages and how they'll survive now that IPOs and stock action is diminished.

Eileen Kinsella

looks at the

banking sector, which is facing increasing problems as the economy slows.

Joe Bousquin

examines the

B2B sector, which is no longer looking like it can weather these tough times.

Carolyn Koo

looks at telecom companies that make handsets so consumers can upgrade their

mobile phones.

Dane Hamilton

looks at biotech companies that specialize in creating

cancer vaccines.

George Mannes

checks out how

Internet content companies like Akamai and Inktomi are locked in a battle over standards.

Tom Lepri

looks at the

specialty semiconductor makers and how even they are struggling with the product and business cycles.

Katherine Hobson

checks out the

e-tailers as they head into what will likely be a make-or-break fourth quarter.

Scott Moritz

examines the

optical-component industry, where consolidation will ultimately reduce a crowded field.

Caroline Humer

looks at

e-finance infrastructure firms, which show mixed results but attract attention.

Peter Eavis

looks at

banks' third-quarter numbers. Most big institutions will be fine, in an uninspiring sort of way.

Justin Dini

looks at how fears of an advertising slowdown is affecting

media stocks.

Katherine Hobson

looks at the

retail situation, and how some upscale clothiers are boosting sales by stepping out of casual duds.

Joe Bousquin

examines how

B2B companies are increasingly looking to alliances to stay ahead of the game in e-commerce.

Tally Goldstein

looked at the lull in

wireless merger action in anticipation of the next wave.

Dan Colarusso

looked at the move toward Europe among U.S.

investment banks.

George Mannes

examined consolidation among

online customer-service players.

Tom Lepri

looked at why even Salomon Smith Barney is on board with the near-term consensus on

semiconductors.

Catherine Valenti

looked at why

consumer products makers may turn to the time-honored tradition of mergers and acquisitions.

Katherine Hobson

examineed

retailers as they posted lousy earnings in the second quarter.

Dane Hamilton

looked at the rally in

biotechs as most signs pointed toward stronger stock prices in this sector.

Dane Hamilton

examined the

pharmaceutical industry and the possible impact on big drug makers of legislation allowing wholesalers to import low-cost drugs, as well as that of upcoming patent expirations.

Caroline Humer

took a look at the

online brokerages, which have suffered in the wake of recent market volatility and resultant falling volumes.

Scott Moritz

looked at the

long distance phone business.

Tom Lepri

examined the

semiconductor industry's up-and-down ride.

Tally Goldstein

explored the intense competition to develop

wireless Internet services.

George Mannes

endeavored to answer the question of whether

free Internet service is viable for providers.

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