Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Amgen (AMGN) is among the hottest large-cap biotech stocks of this year. The stock has been following an upward trend since last April. Most recently, it rallied past the previous 52-week highs. After this run, the stock even surpassed the 1-year target estimates of many analysts. While it still looks cheap based on forward P/E ratio, there are growing concerns among the investors. Traders are becoming more apprehensive about a looming correction. I think a modest correction is possible. However, the company can be a good long-term investment. Here, I look at the company's financial profile and its business prospects to prove my point.

Stock Performance at a Glance

Amgen and its close peer Gilead (GILD) have followed similar trends this year. The price charts of both companies show that the bullish momentum started from the mid year of 2012. As companies followed a steady upward trend, a sharp correction is less likely to happen. Should the prices enter the correction stage the decrease will be gradual, as well.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Citrix Systems Inc.(CTXS)

Citrix Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and markets technology solutions that deliver information technology services on-demand worldwide. It offers desktop solutions, including Citrix XenDesktop, an integrated desktop virtualization system; Citrix XenApp, an application virtualization solution; and Citrix XenClient, a bare-metal hypervisor, which runs directly on the client device hardware. The company also provides online services, comprising GoToMeeting for online meetings, sales demonstrations, and collaborative gatherings; GoToWebinar, which allows users to host, attend, or participate in a Webinar session; GoToTraining, a training tool that allows trainers to deliver content to various trainees; Integrated HiDef Audio, which provides a audio and Web experience; HiDef Audio that offers audio options with reservationless audio conferencing; GoToAssist, a remote technical-support solution; GoToManage solution for IT management; and GoToMyPC, which offers remote access t o PC and Mac from an Internet-connected computer. In addition, it provides datacenter and cloud solutions, such as Citrix NetScaler, a Web application delivery controller; Citrix Access Gateway, a SSL/VPN that delivers applications with policy-based SmartAccess control; Citrix Repeater Solutions that provide application delivery to branch office users; Citrix XenServer, a platform for managing server virtualization in the datacenter; and Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Hyper-V solution for lab automation, high availability, provisioning, workflow orchestration, and integration with storage systems. Further, the company provides consulting, technical support, and product training and certification services. It markets and licenses its products to enterprise customers through systems integrators, value-added resellers, value-added distributors, and original equipment manufacturers, as well as through the Web. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Fort Lau derdale, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Citrix Systems (NASDAQ: CTXS) lowered its forecast for the third quarter. Citrix shares tumbled 13.08% to $57.94 in the after-hours trading session.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Citrix Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) is a name that is showing up on top lists around Wall Street. The company has seen extremely strong cloud software sales growth and recently expanded its strategic alliance with Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) to support data centers. The Thomson/First Call price target for the stock is $80.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Proofpoint Inc (PFPT)

Proofpoint, Inc. (Proofpoint), incorporated in 2002, is a security-as-a-service vendor that delivers data protection solutions, which helps medium- and large-sized organizations worldwide. Proofpoint�� security-as-a-service platform consists of an integrated suite of on-demand data protection solutions, including threat protection, regulatory compliance, archiving and governance, and secures communication. It provides a multi-tiered security-as-a-service platform consisting of solutions, platform technologies and infrastructure. The Company�� security-as-a-service platform includes four solutions bundled for the convenience of its customers: Proofpoint Enterprise Protection, Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy, Proofpoint Enterprise Archive and Proofpoint Enterprise Governance. Its platform services consist of content inspection, reputation, encryption and key management, notification and workflow, and analytics and search. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired NextPage, Inc. In September 2013, Proofpoint Inc completed its acquisition of Armorize Technologies Inc. In October 2013, the Company acquired Silicon Valley based Sendmail, Inc.

The Company�� solutions are used by approximately 2,400 customers worldwide, including 26 of the Fortune 100, protecting tens of millions of end-users. It markets and sells its solutions worldwide both directly through the sales teams and indirectly through a hybrid model. It also distributes its solutions through International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), Microsoft Corporation and VMware, Inc.

Proofpoint Enterprise Protection

Proofpoint Enterprise Protection is the Company�� communications and collaboration security suite designed to protect customers' mission-critical messaging infrastructure from outside threats including spam, phishing, unpredictable e-mail volumes, malware and other forms of objectionable or dangerous content before they reach the enterprise. Key capabilities within proofpoint en! terprise protection include threat detection, virus protection, zero-hour threat detection and smart search.

Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy

The Company�� data loss prevention, encryption and compliance solution defends against leaks of confidential information, and helps ensure compliance with common United States, international and industry-specific data protection regulations, including HIPAA, GLBA, PIPEDA and PCI-DSS. Key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Privacy include Advanced data loss prevention, Flexible remediation and supervision, Policy-based encryption and Secure file transfer.

Proofpoint Enterprise Archive

Proofpoint Enterprise Archive is designed to ensure accurate enforcement of data governance, data retention and supervision policies and mandates; cost effective litigation support through discovery, and active legal hold management. Proofpoint Enterprise Archive can store, govern and discover a range of data, including e-mail, instant message conversations, social media interactions, and other files throughout the enterprise. The key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Archive include Secure cloud storage, Search performance, Flexible policy enforcement, Active legal-hold management and End-user supervision.

Proofpoint Enterprise Governance

Proofpoint Enterprise Governance provides organizations the ability to track, classify, monitor, and apply governance policies to unstructured information across the enterprise. The key capabilities within Proofpoint Enterprise Governance include Document Tracking-Digital Thread, Cloud-based Search and Analytics, and Flexible policy enforcement.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Inc., EMC Corporation, Google Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Intel and Microsoft.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  One company in particular I'd suggest putting back on the sales rack is Proofpoint (NASDAQ: PFPT  ) , a threat and regulatory security-as-a-service provider. The profit potential is certainly there. Proofpoint's SaaS model is built around getting the client hooked on its products and making it inconvenient and cost-inefficient for them to switch to a competitor. In other words, it's setting up its own razor-and-blades model that should fuel recurring revenue for years to come.

• [By John Kell]

  Security services provider Proofpoint Inc.(PFPT) shares popped after the company posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued optimistic revenue guidance. Shares jumped 10% to $40.24 premarket.

10 Best Freight Stocks To Buy For 2015: PDF Solutions Inc.(PDFS)

PDF Solutions, Inc. provides infrastructure technologies and services for the design and manufacture of integrated circuits (IC) in Asia, the United States, and Europe. It offers manufacturing process solutions that include process research and development, and process integration and yield ramp; volume manufacturing solutions; and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) solutions, such as logic DFM, circuit level DFM, memory DFM, and pdBRIX Physical IP solutions. The company also offers characterization vehicle (CV) infrastructure, which includes CV test chips, pdCV analysis software, and pdFasTest electrical wafer test system; Yield Ramp Simulator software that analyzes an IC design to compute its systematic and random yield loss; and Circuit Surfer software, which estimates the parametric performance yield and manufacturability of analog/mixed-signal/RF blocks. In addition, it provides pdBRIX platform, which includes software for identifying and developing a set of physical IP building blocks that are tailored to a given manufacturing process and target product application; dataPOWER YMS platform that collects yield data, loads, and stores it in an integrated database and allows product engineers to identify and analyze production yield issues; FDC software, which provides fault detection and classification capabilities to identify sources of process variations and manufacturing excursions by monitoring equipment parameters; and YA-FDC service and software platform that allows online modeling to create real-time virtual measurements of final product attributes during processing. PDF Solutions sells its technologies and services through direct sales force, sales representatives, and strategic alliances to integrated device manufacturers, fabless semiconductor design companies, and foundries in the microprocessors, memory, graphics, image sensor solutions, and communications segments. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Jo se, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  PDF Solutions (PDFS) provides infrastructure technologies and services to improve yield and optimize performance of integrated circuits. This stock closed up 2.6% at $21.51 in Friday's trading session.

  Friday's Volume: 543,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 112,159
  
  Volume % Change: 393%

  From a technical perspective, PDFS trended up here right above some near-term support at $20.50 and into new 52-week-high territory with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares moving higher from its low of $14.95 to its intraday high on Friday of $21.64. During that move, shares of PDFS have been consistently making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has also been accompanies by heavy upside volume flows since mid-July.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PDFS as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $20.50 or above its 50-day at $19.06 and then once it sustains a move or close above Friday's high of $21.64 with volume that's near or above 112,159 shares. If we get that move soon, then PDFS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $25 to $28.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Monolithic Power Systems Inc.(MPWR)

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs, develops, and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. It offers direct current (DC) to DC converter integrated circuits (IC) that are used to convert and control voltages of various electronic systems, such as portable electronic devices, wireless LAN access points, computers, set top boxes, televisions and monitors, automobiles, and medical equipments. The company also provides lighting control ICs for use in systems that offer the light source for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in notebook computers, LCD monitors, car navigational systems, and LCD televisions. In addition, it provides audio amplifier ICs to amplify sound produced by audio processors; and Class-D audio amplifiers for plasma televisions, LCD televisions, and digital versatile disk players. The company serves consumer electronics, communications, and computing markets. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. sells its products thr ough third party distributors and value-added resellers, as well as directly to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and electronic manufacturing service providers. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  McDonald is a veteran CFO, having served in that position for a number of tech companies including eASIC, Advanced Analogic Technologies, and Monolithic Power Systems (NASDAQ: MPWR  ) .

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Monolithic Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: MPWR) has a diverse market that includes communications, gaming and computing to continue to drive its growth, all markets that will pay a premium for its technology. The list of tech companies that use its chips is impressive. Deutsche Bank has a $30 target, the same as the consensus target.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Monolithic Power Systems (Nasdaq: MPWR  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Omnicell Inc.(OMCL)

Omnicell Inc. provides automated solutions for hospital medication and supply management primarily in the United States and Canada. The company offers medication use products, which include OmniRx that automates the management and dispensing of medications at the point of use; SinglePointe, a software product that controls medications on a patient-specific basis; AnywhereRN, a software that allows nurses to remotely operate automated dispensing cabinets; Pandora Analytics, a reporting and data analytics tool; and Savvy Mobile Medication System, a mobile platform for hospital information systems. Its medication use products also include OmniLinkRx, a software product that automates communication between nurses and the pharmacy; WorkflowRx, an automated storage, retrieval, inventory management, and repackaging solution; controlled substance barcode inventory management system; and Anesthesia Workstation, a secure dispensing system for the management of anesthesia supplies an d medications. In addition, the company provides medical and surgical supply products, which comprise Omnicell Supply Solution that automates the management and dispensing of medical and surgical supplies at the point of use; Supply/Rx Combination Solution, which manages medications and supplies in one versatile cabinet; Omnicell Tissue Center that manages the chain of custody for bone and tissue specimens; OptiFlex SS, which supplies modules for the perioperative areas; OptiFlex CL that supplies modules for the cardiac catheterization lab and other procedure areas; and OptiFlex MS, a system for the management of medical and surgical supplies. Further, it provides customer education and training, and maintenance and support services. The company was formerly known as Omnicell Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Omnicell, Inc. in 2001. Omnicell, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Omnicell (Nasdaq: OMCL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Leo Fasciocco]

  Omnicell (OMCL) is organized into two operating business segments: Acute Care, which primarily includes sold to hospitals, and non-acute care, for customers outside of hospitals.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Omnicell (Nasdaq: OMCL  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Omnicell doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, not so great. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 33.5%, and inventory increased 53.7%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks potentially problematic. Revenue expanded 35.8%, and inventory increased 53.7%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue dropped 3.4%, and inventory dropped 2.9%.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Unisys Corporation (UIS)

Unisys Corporation provides information technology (IT) services, software, and technology that solve mission-critical problems for clients worldwide. It operates in two segments, Services and Technology. The Services segment provides outsourcing services, including management of customers� data centers, computer servers, and end-user computing environments, as well as specific business processes; systems integration and consulting services, such as assessing the security and cost effectiveness of clients� IT systems and enabling them to design, integrate, and modernize mission-critical applications; infrastructure services consisting of design, warranty, and support services for its customers� IT infrastructure, such as networks, desktops, servers, and mobile and wireless devices; and maintenance services. The Technology segment designs and develops servers and related products consisting of enterprise-class servers, which comprise the ClearPath family of servers and t he ES7000 family of Intel-based servers, as well as operating system software and middleware; and provides data center, infrastructure management, and cloud computing offerings for clients to virtualize and automate their data-center environments. The company serves public sector; financial services; and other commercial markets comprising communications and transportation. Unisys Corporation markets its products and services primarily through direct sales force, as well as through distributors and alliance partners. Unisys Corporation was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Unisys (NYSE: UIS) shares tumbled 11.86 percent to $25.50 on Q1 results. Unisys reported a quarterly loss of $0.74 per share on revenue of $762.0 million.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Techne Corporation(TECH)

TECHNE Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells biotechnology products, and hematology calibrators and controls worldwide. The company?s Biotechnology segment offers proteins, such as cytokines, and enzyme substrates and inhibitors; antibodies, including polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; immunoassays comprising quantikine kits for the detection of human and animal proteins, and immunoassays that allow researchers to quantify a specific analyte in a biological fluids sample; clinical diagnostic immunoassay kits consisting of erythropoietin, transferrin receptor, and beta2-microglobulin immunoassays for use as in vitro diagnostic devices; flow cytometry products, such as fluorochrome labeled antibodies and kits; intracellular cell signaling products, including antibodies, phospho-specific antibodies, antibody arrays, active caspases, kinases, and phosphatases, and ELISA assays to measure the activity of apoptotic and signaling molecules; and natural and synthetic c hemical compounds for use as agonists, antagonists, and inhibitors of various biological functions by investigators. Its Hematology segment provides whole blood CBC controls controls and calibrators; linearity and reportable range controls for the assessment of the linearity of hematology analyzers for white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and reticulocytes; whole blood reticulocyte controls for manual and automated counting of reticulocytes; whole blood flow cytometry controls for the identification and quantification white blood cells; whole blood glucose/hemoglobin control to monitor instruments, which measure glucose and hemoglobin in blood; erythrocyte sedimentation rate control to monitor erythrocyte sedimentation rate tests; and multi-purpose platelet reference controls, such as Platelet-Trol II and Platelet-Trol Extended for use by automated and semi-automated analyzers, which monitor platelet levels. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in M inneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Medical device maker Techne (NASDAQ: TECH  ) announced today that it's taking a 100% ownership stake in�Bionostics Holdings for $104 million cash.

• [By Nicolas73]

  Digitalized data (documents, books, articles) volume is growing at an incredible pace. Moreover, it would be simply not possible (nor useful) to print everything.Company and institutions encourage people to print something only when strictly needed, both for environmental and for cost-cutting purposes.Fax machines will quickly become (tech) museum pieces, replaced by emails (people are free to print an email whenever it is really necessary).Combo printers (scanner and printer) will quickly replace most photocopiers (people will scan everything and print only when it is really necessary).
  I think Xerox's management felt the responsibility to deal with these kinds of business dangers as soon as they became evident. I also think they brilliantly addressed and solved them.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: RigNet Inc.(RNET)

RigNet, Inc. provides remote communications services for the oil and gas industry. It offers remote communications services through a controlled and managed Internet protocol/multiprotocol label switching (IP/MPLS) global network, enabling drilling contractors, oil companies, and oilfield service companies to communicate. The company offers a communications package of voice, data, video, networking, and real-time data management to offshore and land-based remote locations. It primarily provides voice-over-Internet-protocol, data, and high-speed Internet access, as well as other value-added services, such as video conferencing solutions, TurboNet solutions for wide area network, real-time data management solutions, Wi-Fi hotspots and Internet kiosks, wireless intercoms, and handheld radios. The company also offers Secure Oil Information Link, a managed members-only communications network hub that enables collaborative partners, suppliers, and customers to transfer and share data. It serves the owners and operators of offshore drilling rigs and production facilities, land rigs, remote offices, and supply bases primarily in the United States, Brazil, Norway, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Australia. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on RigNet (Nasdaq: RNET  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Baidu Inc.(BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. provides Chinese and Japanese language Internet search services. Its search services enable users to find relevant information online, including Web pages, news, images, multimedia files, and blogs through the links provided on its Websites. The company also offers online community-based products and entertainment platforms; an instant messaging service; and a consumer-oriented e-commerce platform. In addition, it designs and delivers online marketing services and auction-based P4P services that enable its customers to reach users who search for information related to their products or services. The company serves online marketing customers consisting of small and medium sized enterprises, large domestic corporations, and Chinese divisions or subsidiaries of multinational corporations primarily operating in the medical, machinery, education, franchising, electronic products, e-commerce, ticketing, tourism, information technology, consumer products, real estate, entertainment, and financial services industries. It sells its online marketing services directly, as well as through its distribution network. The company was formerly known as Baidu.com, Inc. and changed its name to Baidu, Inc. in December 2008. Baidu, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU  ) reported earnings on July 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Baidu beat expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) will have to try harder if it wants to win back its status as the dot-com darling of China. The leading Chinese search engine fell short in its latest quarter. Revenue soared 40% to $961 million, but analysts were hovering around the $969 million mark. Profitability inched 9% higher to $328.9 million -- or $0.95 a share -- but Wall Street was expecting a profit of $1.03 a share.