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Byte and Switch Index Rising: Page 2 of 2

Indeed, a handful of storage plays -- Network Appliance Inc. (Nasdaq: NTAP) and QLogic Corp. (Nasdaq: QLGC) -- have gotten into the Wall Street limelight, with plenty of activity surrounding the stock. NetApp execs have sold nearly $12 million in shares since the start of December, for example, signaling that the price is right to sell and that investors are willing to buy.

The growth of storage stocks should come as no surprise to anyone who's been watching this market. Storage networking has been targeted by nearly all major networking companies as one of the keys to future sales. Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) recently labeled storage one of six billion-dollar-plus target markets (see Storage: A Cisco Billion Dollar Play).

So far, signs are good that growth in storage stocks will continue for the near term. EMC, NetApp, and QLogic, for instance, all predict earnings growth this quarter (see QLogic Continues to Click, EMC Cowboys Up in Q3, and NetApp Keeps Pedal to Metal).

Mary Jander, Site Editor, Byte and Switch