Nanotechnology Stocks

What Is Nanotechnology?

While it may sound like cutting-edge technology straight out of a science fiction movie, nanotechnology is actually relatively old and somewhat tamer than what you may imagine.

Nanotechnology is simply the use of matter on a microscopic, or nanoscopic, scale. How small is a nanometer? It’s 1,000 times smaller than a micrometer. or 1 billionth (1/1,000,000,000th) of a meter. For Americans, there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch. 

There are a surprising number of uses for nanotechnology; most of which are actually pretty mundane. But once you start imagining the true potential, the possibilities truly are endless. If you think about changing the actual molecular structure of materials and even biological molecules themselves, you can begin to realize just what nanotechnology is capable of.

Despite this potential, nanotechnology is far from a household phrase. Similarly, it has yet to really gain too much popularity amongst investors. Nanotechnology is also one of those areas where you may have heard of the companies.

You just have no idea of what they’re doing within the nanotechnology world. Have you ever heard of semiconductors? Pretty important for nearly all technology today.

And they’re very much closely tied in with nanotech. As a result, you may see those companies on a nanotechnology stocks list. They’re companies you can day or swing trade.

What Are the Uses for Nanotechnology?

Everyday things we use actually involve nanotech processes to make them better. Not everything connected to technology has to do with tech. As you’ll see, there are hundreds, if not thousands of consumer products currently on the market that’ve been enhanced by nanotechnology. Let’s take a look at a few you’ve probably recently used and didn’t know it!

Sunscreen: This is one of the pioneers of nanotechnology. We know just how important sunscreen is for the long-term health of our skin and can truly appreciate the technology behind it. But how does a bottle of cream have nanotechnology built into it? Cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies have been able to add nanoparticles to the chemical composition of sunscreen in the form of two very important elemental compounds; titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

What do these do? Well, they drastically improve the efficacy and strength of sunscreen in limiting our exposure to harmful UV rays. And also have the added bonus of feeling better on our skin. Remember how thick sunscreen used to be a decade or two ago? It used to take forever to actually rub into our skin. Even still, we’d see streaks of white film. Now, sunscreen is smooth and silky and we have nanotechnology to thank!

Adhesives: Do you remember how glue used to wear out and lose its adhesiveness after a while? Even a change in temperature or humidity could cause the strongest glues to be rendered completely useless. Well, enter nanotechnology. Scientists have been able to add nanoparticles to adhesive compounds that actually act to fill in the empty space between the adhesive and object. In this way, adhesives like glue have evolved to be twice as strong. And last for much longer, even in different temperatures. 

Nanotechnology Stocks List of Uses

Sports Equipment: It’s only a matter of time until the latest technologies make their way into sports. Companies and athletes are always looking for a way to gain an edge on their opponents. Nanotechnology in things like tennis balls allows for them to remain bouncy for longer periods of time. Ditto with golf balls! Even the tennis rackets and golf clubs have had nanoparticles added to their construction. That way players can get more torque out of their swings. 

Clothing and Apparel: Have you ever worn a Dri-Fit shirt or any other clothing that repels water and sweat? Then you’ve already benefited from nanotechnology! The nanomaterial known as silica is added directly into the fabric of the clothing to help wick off excess moisture. These types of clothing are used in anything from water-repellent rain gear to athletic gear. As a result, it helps to keep the athlete dry during even the sweatiest games. 

Nano-Medicine: Perhaps the most fundamentally important way that nanotechnology is being utilized is in medicine. We all know about the great leaps that medical technology has taken thanks to biotech firms and other cutting-edge research institutions.

But scientists and biopharma companies have been able to add nanoparticles to therapies to make them more potent. While at the same time are less damaging to the healthy parts of your body. An excellent example of this is cancer treatments. We’ve been able to target cancerous cells while leaving our healthy cells unharmed in the process. Nanotechnology is also used to make vaccines more potent. As well as targeted gene cell therapies more efficient. 

Computers and Technology

While nano-medicine may be the most important aspect of nanotechnology for the long-term health and survival of the human race, nanotech in computers is a large part of the exponential advancements in technology. Companies have been able to use nanotech to design and produce nanoscopic chips and semiconductors, and the more of those we have in our devices, the faster they can operate and the more we can accomplish! 

Can You Invest in Nanotechnology?

There’s a long nanotechnology stocks list of companies that are publicly traded on Wall Street. Let’s take a look at some.

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC): Intel is one of the industry leaders in the chip sector and on the cutting edge of the new 7 nm (nanometer) chip technology. While Intel is still debating on manufacturing these themselves or using a third-party foundry, the 7nm revolution is beginning. It’s estimated it’ll provide 40% higher performance on 60% less power. And at a 30-45% lower cost. 

Thermo-Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO): Perhaps not as much of a household name as Intel, Therm-Fisher is an absolute behemoth of a conglomerate. They specialize in scientific instrumentation, consumables, healthcare software, and research laboratories; amongst others. It’s one of the industry leaders and has a massive market cap of $185 billion USD. Thermo-Fisher doesn’t necessarily focus on the research and implementation of nanotechnology. However, they do sell a lot of the instrumentation that allows companies to use nanotechnology with their products. 

DuPont (NYSE: DD): DuPont wasn’t always known as DuPont. The company was the result of a merger between Dow Chemical and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company back in 2017. It’s one of the world’s largest chemical companies and utilizes nanotechnology in many of its compounds to create a stronger material for the end products in manufacturing and consumer use. 

iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (SOXX): Why not own them all? There isn’t a specific ETF or index fund dedicated to nanotechnology. However, the SOXX is an excellent ETF that provides investors with exposure to all of the largest semiconductor and chip companies in the world. Some of the largest holdings in SOXX include Texas Instruments, Intel, Qualcomm, Broadcom, NVIDIA, ASML, Micron, AMD, and Taiwan Semiconductor. 

Is Nanotechnology Just a Buzzword and What Does That Mean for Nanotechnology Stocks List?

It’s less of a buzzword than it is a broad term that captures a lot of different ways in which nanotechnology is used. Renewable energies can include things like solar, wind, hydrogen, and many other types of clean energies. And nanotechnology is used in all of the ways we talked about. And dozens, if not hundreds more. Nanotechnology may be a generalized way of describing it. But there’s no doubting that it’s impacting very important sectors of our world in a very positive way.

Final Verdict 

Investing in a company or stock just because it’s involved in nanotechnology isn’t always the best strategy. With any investment, you’ll always want to make sure you know the fundamentals of the company. And know what it does aside from new concepts like nanotech. The companies we named here are well-established enterprises that are proven to be great investments over long periods of time. If you’re looking to invest in Nanotechnology, take a look at the nanomedicine and nanochip industries first. As they’ll definitely provide one of the most direct ways to buy nanotechnology stocks.