8 Superb Semiconductor Stocks to Buy

while the broader economy and stock market may not be all that inspiring, some
semiconductor stocks are thriving thanks to the continued strength of technology
and the tech sector. We live in a digital age, and semiconductor stocks are
seeing a constant increase in demand for their circuits and products even when
times are tough. I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my
Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and
quantitative measures. This week, I have eight semiconductor and semiconductor
equipment companies to buy. Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of
these stocks gets an "A" or "B" according to my research, meaning it is
a "strong buy" or "buy." Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO ) is a
designer, developer and global supplier of semiconductor products. AVGO has
jumped 19%, year-to-date, compared to a drop of 1% compared to the Dow Jones.
CEVA Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA ) works with silicon intellectual property, used mostly
for the handset, portable and consumer electronics markets. CEVA has gained 30%,
compared to losses by the broader markets. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC ) is a
semiconductor chip maker that most people around the world are familiar with. A
year-to-date gain of more than 9% for INTC stock has kept shareholders happy
during a tough economic stretch. KLA-Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC ) is known for
designing, manufacturing and marketing management solutions for the
semiconductor industry. Despite a down economy, KLAC has gained 13% since the
start of 2011. Kulicke & Soffa Industries (NASDAQ: KLIC ) deals with capital
equipment and expendable tools, which are important to the production of
semiconductors. Even during this economic downturn, KLIC is up nearly 22%,
year-to-date. NetLogic Microsystems (NASDAQ: NETL ) is involved with the design,
development and sale of processors and high-speed integrated circuits. NETL has
gained an impressive 53%, year-to-date. Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD
) is a semiconductor company that works with baseband processors, radio
frequency transceivers and turnkey solutions for wireless communications and the
mobile television market. Year-to-date, SPRD has gained 15%. Varian
Semiconductor (NASDAQ: VSEA ) is a supplier of ion implantation systems used in
the production of microchips. In the last 10 and a half months, VSEA has
outperformed much of its competition, gaining nearly 68% year-to-date. Get more
analysis of these picks and other publicly-traded stocks with Louis
Navellier's Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures
both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.