Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT)

Also, Fed Chairman Powell says there are no plans for a U.S. digital currency (for now), plus Tesla's electric pickup.

Strong markets tend to stay sticky to the upside, and the mild pressure on the indices isn't preventing some good stock picking.

What is most notable about this market action is that it never seems to fully discount the optimism about a China trade deal.

The market has not had a dip that has lasted longer than an hour in nearly six weeks.

Headline blur. What channel to watch? Who to listen to in real time? How to trade it? Should you trade it? Is anyone even trading anything?

Tesla and Lam Research are soaring post-earnings, while Twitter is plunging. Here's a look at what's driving the moves.

The indices are within striking distance of the July highs after moving into position for a possible strong finish to the year.

The tech sector has been the victim of the recent "on again, off again" rotation. That may really just mean that the group has been victimized by its own success.

Microsoft, Lam Research and several other companies have announced hikes in dividends, so let's break them down.

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.