Shares in LCD companies jumped today after South Korea's Samsung Electronics announced it would invest $2.21 billion to expand it seighth-generation liquid crystal display (LCD) line. Samsung will work with Sony, but said it is making the investment on its own for this phase.

Shareholders are optimistic about the growth in LCD technology, and with the big names such as Samsung prepared to put its R&D money where its mouth is, shares in such operations are becoming hot investments.