Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now

As prices for solar panels and modules stabilize, stocks in the solar energy companies have once more put on a growth spurt. Since the beginning of the year shares of SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) are up more than 300% and shares of China�� Canadian Solar Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CSIQ) are up nearly as much. Industry consolidation is not a far-fetched notion any longer.

SunPower is back in the money after the company sold a 60% stake to Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) for $23.25 a share in the summer of 2011. Shares are trading at around $23.50 at noon on Monday, after peaking at over $28 in late July. It�� not hard to imagine that Total may want to shed SunPower, either through a sale or a spin-off. What�� a bit harder to imagine is that there�� a buyer lurking in the weeds.

Another possible target is the solar energy division of SunEdison Inc. (NYSE: SUNE). The company said last week that it would be spinning off its semiconductor business into a separate company next year. In the second quarter of this year the semiconductor segment provided about 60% of SunEdison�� total revenues of $401.3 million. But the company�� solar business has historically provided most of the revenues and could be both a target as operating losses in the solar energy segment continue.

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Invest In 2015: Tokyo Electron Ltd (TOELY.PK)

Tokyo Electron Limited is a company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic products for industrial uses. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Flat-panel Display (FPD) and Photovoltaic Cell (PV) Manufacturing Equipment segment provides coaters and developers for wafer processing, plasma etching equipment, thermal processing systems, single wafer deposition systems, cleaning systems, coaters and developers for FPD manufacturing, ashing devices and plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) devices. The Electronic Component and Information Communication Equipment segment designs, develops, purchases and sells semiconductor products such as integrated circuits (ICs), computer and network equipment and software. The Others segment involves in logistics, facility management and insurance businesses. On April 1, 2013, it merged with two subsidiaries. In January 2014, the Company established TEL-Applied Holdings B.V. and a Japan-based company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

  Ultratech isn't the only game in town, though, and there are multiple technologies and process steps that are going to play significant roles in the production of FinFETs and 3D circuits. With that, I would take a look at Mattson Technologies (MTSN), as this company has already accomplished the not-so-easy task of gaining meaningful share in the dry strip, rapid thermal processing (RTP), and etch markets despite competing with giants like Lam Research (LRCX), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Tokyo Electron (TOELY.PK).

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now: Applied Materials Inc.(AMAT)

Applied Materials, Inc. provides manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, flat panel display, solar photovoltaic (PV), and related industries worldwide. The company?s Silicon Systems Group segment offers a range of manufacturing equipment used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits. This segment provides systems that perform primary processes used in chip fabrication, including atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition, rapid thermal processing, chemical mechanical planarization, wet cleaning, and wafer metrology and inspection, as well as systems that etch or inspect circuit patterns on masks used in the photolithography process. Its Applied Global Services segment offers products and services designed to enhance the performance and productivity, and reduce the environmental impact of the fab operations of semiconductor, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and solar P V manufacturers. The company?s Display segment provides products for manufacturing thin film transistor LCDs for televisions, personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs, smartphones, and other consumer-oriented electronic applications. Its Energy and Environmental Solutions segment offers manufacturing systems for the generation and conservation of energy, as well as manufacturing solutions for wafer-based crystalline silicon applications. This segment also provides roll-to-roll vacuum Web coating systems for deposition of a range of films on flexible substrates for functional, aesthetic, or optical properties; and roll-to-roll machine for depositing ultra-thin aluminum films for flexible packaging applications. The company serves manufacturers of semiconductor wafers and chips, flat panel LCDs, solar PV cells and modules, and other electronic devices. Applied Materials, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Tuesday’s session are Applied Materials Inc.(AMAT), Red Hat Inc.(RHT) and National Oilwell Varco Inc.(NOV)

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeff Reeves]

  Texas Instruments (TXN) might not be the sexiest stock out there in a post-PC age, where mobile devices are all the rage. But this chipmaker still does very brisk business across a host of tech segments, and in fact has recently eclipsed its pre-recession highs; TXN stock is up more than 40% in the past 12 months.

• [By Victor Selva]

  Several tech vendors like Intel (INTC), IBM (IBM), Texas Instruments (TXN) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) have announced job cuts for 2014. These reductions will take effect in the near future while management will continue to explore additional opportunities to improve profitability.�

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.46 per share on revenue of $2.99 billion.

  Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.89 per share on revenue of $7.55 billion.

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now: Rood Testhouse International NV (ROO)

Rood Testhouse International NV (RoodMicrotec) is a Netherlands-based company, operating an independent and certified test house and analysis lab for opto- and microelectronics. It is a supply chain management organization engaged in partial processes essential to reliable end-products. Its core services are managing the entire process from design idea all the way to supply to the end-user, including purchasing, logistics, warehousing/logistics; securing testability and manufacturability at an early stage in the chip design process. Its activities include supply chain amangement, test and end-of-line services, failure and technology analysis, test engineering, qualifications and reliability, as well as engineering/consulting/key account project management. It has six wholly owned subsidiaries: RoodMicrotec International B.V., RoodMicrotec Holding GmbH, RoodMicrotec Beteiligungs GmbH, RoodMicrotec Nordlingen GmbH + Co. KG, RoodMicrotec Dresden GmbH and RoodMicrotec Stuttgart GmbH. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alan Ellman]

  The day is Friday July 12, and the stock is LEAP Wireless International Inc. (LEAP), which is a takeover candidate by AT&T. In the late afternoon, the share price was near $8 per share, the July $9 call option was priced @ $0.10, and the August $9 call @ $0.40. Covered call writers could generate an initial profit (ROO) of 1% and 5%, respectively. The average daily option trading volume for this company is 1320 contracts over the last three months. It appeared to be a normal trading day until the last hour of trading when option volume went through the roof. By day’s end, 7139 contracts were traded, all but 350 were calls as traders were taking a bullish stance on this stock. I think you know what’s coming!