Nuclear power may energize your portfolio; Avoid long telephone waits - visit gethuman.com

BY PETER KING

June 29, 2008

With the price of oil persisting near all-time highs, the search for energy sources is an issue in the presidential campaign. While most recent headlines have centered on the candidates' positions on expanding offshore drilling for oil, there's another energy source both Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama are discussing: nuclear power.

Republican McCain is strongly in favor of expanding nuclear power. He said if he is elected, he would build 100 nuclear power plants in the coming decades. Democrat Obama has "issued supportive statements about nuclear power," according to Reuters, but he hasn't set any number of plants to build.

This may be a good time for investors to think about adding companies involved in nuclear power to their portfolio. Web site Motley Fool mentions NRG Energy Inc. (NRG), Duke Energy Corp. (DUK), Cameco Corp. (CCJ) and USEC Inc. (USU).

Money manager James Passin of Firebird Management told Web site Seeking Alpha he likes Brush Engineered Materials Inc. (BW). He said the company is "a de facto beryllium monopoly." Beryllium is an essential material used in nuclear reactors.

And S&P Equity Research has a "buy" rating on Fluor Corp. (FLR). Fluor builds nuclear plants, and S&P expects the company will win "new awards for power generation projects."

Dial around those long phone waits

"Please listen carefully as our menu choices have changed."

Coming from a waiter in a restaurant, it's a prelude to a meal.

Coming from a recorded voice on your telephone, it's a preamble to a wait.

If you're calling customer service of a major company, visit gethuman.com first. The site collects information on what numbers to press or what to say into your phone to quickly get past the recorded voice and get a live representative at more than 700 major companies.

One example: To get a human at Citibank, press "0" and "#" at every prompt.

BULLS AND BEARS

OSI Pharmaceuticals (OSIP)

Last: $40.77

52-week return: +12.6%

Winners on Wall Street were few last week, but the Melville-based biotech rose 1.8 percent after Thomas Weisel Partners upgraded shares to "overweight" with a $54 share target price.

Horizon Financial (HRZB)

Last: $6.41

52-week return: -69.7%

A little late to leave the party? DA Davidson slashed its target price to $8 from $24 Friday, but the downgrade came well after shares of the Washington-based bank had already plummeted.