by Glen Howard

Created on: January 09, 2009   Last Updated: January 14, 2009

When January 20, 2009 begins, President-elect Barack Obama begins his term in office as the forty-fourth President of the United States. He brings a message of "change" and the inspiration of "yes we can". The investment savvy mind might ask though, what industries/companies are likely to survive, grow, and flourish under an Obama administration? I have given the three major industries which "can" and several companies which "should" as well. The

industries are, Alternative Energy, Construction, and Research and Development.

Alternative Energy

President- elect Barack Obama proposes investment in alternative energy such as solar and wind power. He proposes spending $150 billion over 10 years to speed the development of plug-in hybrid cars and begin a transition towards a new digital electricity grid.

A report (11/10/2008), by Beacon Equity Research, an investment research group, focused on the "underserved small capital market" stated that Universal Bioenergy (UBRG) is set to benefit from Obama's policy. Universal Bioenergy is a development stage company, based in Nettleton, Mississippi. They are focused on producing biodiesel using vegetable oil and grease in a process which purportedly cuts processing time by 40%-50%. Obama has called for 60 billion gallons of "advanced biofuels" production annually by 2030. This should give the company a strategic advantage at Wall Street.

Construction
President-elect Obama proposes to rebuild Americas transportation infrastructure.
Over the next 10 years he plans to invest $60 billion in this venture. He made reference to this in a radio address on December. 6, 2008. After that investors drove up shares of construction companies and steelmakers, by close to one-quarter. This included Fluor Corporation (FLR) a global leader in the construction, engineering and project management industry for nearly a century, based in Irving, Texas; and Olympic Steel Inc. (ZEUS) a major player in the steel industry for half a century, based in Bedford Heights, Ohio. These companies should benefit.

Research and Development
Obama also plans to increase federal support for research, technology and innovation to improve efficiency at hospitals, and at schools by making high speed broadband internet access widely available. He is also keen on government funding for stem cell research, and the development of generic biotechnology drugs.
Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO) and General Electric (GE) should benefit greatly. Cisco Systems Inc, a world leader in the making of networking equipment, based in San Jose, California rose 8.2 percent in trading on the Nasdaq Composite Index on December 8, 2008. This was quite spectacular compared to other traders.

General Electric has been a global leader in innovative, scientific research and development. It has its beginnings in the inventive work of Thomas Edison more than 130 years ago. It has ranked third in Fortune Magazines 2008 "Most Admired Companies" based on innovation, leadership and financial management. The company is based in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Should investors therefore remain cautiously optimistic and confident that profitable change will "come to America"? Well, "yes they can" and "yes they should". In the meantime, the opening bell rings, there's a shuffle of loud voices and another day begins at the Stock Exchange.

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