Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT)

So many companies -- like Netflix, Facebook and Johnson & Johnson -- are not trading on earnings per share, but on factors that are nearly impossible to quantify.

Nvidia's second-quarter profits were well below its year-ago earnings but were nicely ahead of analyst expectations.

Stocks to buy on this volatile global macro environment, and what needs to change to avoid a recession.

The largest impediment to success for firms like TLRY -- which is expected to report a 27 cent loss per share Tuesday night -- remains federal legalization of marijuana across the U.S.

And as the semiconductor sector continues to shine, Brooks Automation is a name to keep in mind.

Also, defense industry names can breathe easier with word of debt ceiling and federal spending deal.

The chip manufacturing giant issued upbeat Q3 sales guidance and forecast this year's capital spending will be at the high end of a prior guidance range.

Analog chip suppliers, optical component firms and chip equipment makers could be among the firms that see M&A interest if trade tensions continue to ease.

There still appears to be plenty of interest among chip developers in further consolidation, and the easing of export restrictions on Huawei might make them less worried about Chinese regulators.

As chip stocks gain nearly across the board following numbers from Micron that weren't exactly stellar, it's worth remembering how low valuations for many names had gotten.

This softness in energy pricing, though not good for the oil patch, and certainly a negative for the railroads, will help in two ways.

Let's dig into the charts and indicators.

Like other chip equipment makers, Applied is slogging through a rough 2019. But it outlined a case for better 2020 demand.

A review of the latest LRCX charts.

My better bet will remain on the cloud until the direction that global business has to move toward changes fundamentally.

Following a big rally in recent months, KLA's shares are lower Tuesday after the company maintained a cautious view of near-term chip equipment demand.

As we have seen so far, in terms of market reaction, there is great reward at the point of sale in beating expectations.

Nvidia and AMD are now getting very little revenue from sales of graphics cards to cryptocurrency miners.

Resistance has now been violated by a notable margin.

What trader has never both fallen in love with Nvidia, only to eventually feel the scorn of an angry lover's tortured vengeance?

Next week we'll be at the tail end of earnings season. It's been a blast, at least until this past week when we got some iffy news about trade.

The chip stock surge at the week's end shines a light on just how pessimistic some investors had been as earnings multiples fell to rock-bottom levels last year.

What happened today is a recognition by money managers that they are paying too much for the drug and food stocks and too little for the building block techs.

These eight S&P 500 stocks have some of the worst returns year-to-date and represent a diverse roster of promising bounce candidates.

A demand drag and a supply glut are fomenting a perfect storm to pressure semiconductors.