Citi's Benson believes the German company Wacker Chemie should be least affected by the feed-in tariffs because of its low-cost position in polysilicon, a material used to make solar panels.

FORBES: Energy

And archrival Albemarle Corp. just opened a 15, 000-metric-ton-a-year bromine plant in Magnolia, Ark. that it claims gives it the low-cost position in the U.S. Prices don't look to improve anytime soon.

FORBES: Paddling Upstream

Apple is increasingly pushing its AppleTV through a low-cost device strategy, while Microsoft is leveraging its position in the gaming market with the Xbox to become more a full fledged player in digital distribution.

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That said, Wu notes that he remains concerned that the company is in a tough position fundamentally in the PC business, with low-cost players Lenovo and Acer encroaching on one one side, and Apple gaining ground on the other.

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"Operating towards the value end of the market should have placed the retailer in a strong position to take advantage of the consumer trend towards low-cost fashion, " said Anusha Couttigane, from retail consultancy Conlumino.

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