Barrons Recap: Here Come the Millennials

This weekend in Barrons online: the impending impact on the economy and Wall Street of the Millennial generation, and the prospects for Boeing's Dreamliner, the Dell buyout, Hanesbrands and Ecolab.

"

" by Jacqueline Doherty. The so-called Millennials, those who have reached adulthood since 2000, are poised to start spending, and that is good news for the economy and stocks, says the article. Evidence suggests that Millennials are not the slackers often portrayed by the media and popular culture. Once they begin marrying, starting families and moving into their high-earning years, their influence could rival that of their baby-boom parents. Housing, autos, retail and financial services could be among the first to see their influence. Also known as Generation Y, they are about 27 percent of the U.S. population and already account for more than a trillion dollars, or about a fifth, of annual consumer spending. The article discusses the possible impact this generation, the most media savvy and interconnected one yet, could have on the economy and society, as well as on Wall Street. What will this mean for the likes of

,

,

and home builders such as

and

? The article also includes a timeline of events that have shaped the worldview of Millennials, from Harry Potter and the iPod to 9/11 and the Great Recession. There is also a sidebar that shows how Millennials stack up against previous generations, and their effect on the markets.

In "Will Boeing's Battery Fix Fly?" Jonathan R. Laing suggests that though the 787 Dreamliner has received FAA clearance to resume flying, some experts are not convinced that

has done enough to reduce the risks of its lithium batteries. "Dell: Now What?" by Andrew Bary explains why shares of

are still attractive, despite

's

decision not to pursue a bid to buy out the PC maker, which was a setback for investors. Jack Hough's "With Hanesbrands, You're Covered" predicts that, with support from its new products and lower costs, shares of famed underwear maker

could be boosted by as much as 20 percent. A pair of recent acquisitions has made

a top provider of water-treatment services used in energy extraction, says "Cleaning Up on Fracking's Dirty Water" by Leslie P. Norton. The article shares why the stock could still go 20 percent or more higher. In Bill Alpert's "Underwater," the focus is on state-run Brazilian waste management company Sabesp. As the South American nation clamps down on tariff increases for utilities, the company faces the prospect of having too little capital to meet its goals, as well as investors' expectations. "Postcrisis Manager" by Erin E. Arvedlund is a profile of 400 Capital founder Chris Hentemann, who sees a whole new set of opportunities as the mortgage crisis winds down. Hentemann also offers the lowdown on a "new security alternative to Fannies and Freddies." Tiernan Ray's "A Tech Seer's View of the Future" features an interview with Paul Wick, who is portfolio manager of the Columbia Seligman Communications & Information fund. Wick is an enthusiastic investor in the tech sector. Mike Brown of Dynasty Financial Partners was spot-on in predicting trouble for gold, says Alexander Eule's "Beyond the Glitter." Brown shares what he recommends now, as well as explains how he is hedging his holdings. In "Uncle Sam's Property Bazaar," Jim McTague discusses how to find a deal on an island used for animal-disease research, a NASA hangar, 2.7 million feet of underground storage space or other holdings of the U.S. government. "The Price of Free Speech" is an editorial commentary by Thomas G. Donlan in which he discusses why corporations should not make anonymous political donations.

Columns in this weekend's Barrons discuss: