Technology has been one of the most lucrative sectors for investors, year to date. The Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (“XLK”) has registered a gain of 12.8% year to date. Notably, the tech-laden NASDAQ Composite (IXIC) has also rallied 10.6%, so far this year. Nice Recovery from Early Jitters The incidents like Uber self-driving car accident, Facebook FB Cambridge Analytica fiasco, escalating tensions around US-China trade war and Russia-Ukraine cyber security issues had kept the investors on tenterhooks, at the beginning of the year. However, the sector has recovered smoothly, highlighting its resilient nature. It is noteworthy that the sector is benefiting from increasing demand for cloud-based platforms, growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions, Augmented/Virtual reality devices (AR/VR), autonomous cars, advanced driver assisted systems (ADAS) and Internet of Things (IoT) related software. Moreover, an improvement in global IT spending, as projected by Gartner, bodes well for the stocks. Further, President Donald Trump’s corporate tax cuts and repatriation policy have aided these companies to aggressively buyback shares and pursue strategic acquisitions. Making The Right Choice The aforementioned factors strengthen our view that this is the right time to invest in technology stocks. However, picking the right stocks is a difficult task. It is here that the Zacks Style Score System can come in handy. Moreover, we select stocks that have market cap greater than $6 billion. This is because investing in large-cap companies is always a safer bet, especially during economic downturns and stringent credit conditions. Back-tested results show that stocks with VGM Style Scores of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) handily outperform other stocks. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Key Picks Here, we pick five tech stocks that have the favourable combination: Micron Technology MU is well poised to gain from the DRAM boom which is here to stay, at least in the near term, as demand remains ahead of supply. Courtesy to rising demand for digital memory — due to new applications like IoT and AI — Micron has emerged as a popular tech pick. Micron has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the preceding four quarters with an average positive surprise of 8%. The company is witnessing impressive northbound estimate revisions — up 54 cents to $11.53 per share for the current year in the last 30 days. The company’s earnings and revenues are expected to surge by 132.5% and 45.7%, respectively, this fiscal year. Micron sports a Zacks Rank #1. Shares have returned 44.5% year to date. Story continues Western Digital Corporation WDC is benefiting from the robust demand of high capacity enterprise hard drives and flash-based products. Moreover, increase in the capacity of smartphones is likely to support the higher rate of exabyte consumption in rest of 2018, which is a positive. Western Digital has outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters with an average positive surprise of 6.2%. The company is witnessing northbound estimate revisions — up 1 cent to $14.65 per share for the current year in the last 30 days. The company’s earnings and revenues are expected to surge by 59.4% and 7.8%, respectively, this fiscal year. Western Digital flaunts a Zacks Rank #1. Shares have returned 8.6% year to date. Seagate Technology STX is driven by robust adoption and strong demand of company’s storage drives. Growing traction for mass storage solutions across the company’s edge and enterprise markets is a tailwind. Further, hints of PC market stabilization as reflected in the latest reports from Gartner and IDC bodes well for Seagate. The company’s Nearline rapid adoption is likely to bolster Seagate’s competitive position. Seagate has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the preceding three quarters with an average positive surprise of 8.2%. The company is witnessing northbound estimate revisions — up 5 cents to $5.34 per share for the current year in the last 30 days. The company’s earnings and revenue are expected to surge by 29.6% and 2.4%, respectively, this fiscal year. Seagate sports a Zacks Rank #1. Shares have returned 42.9% year to date. MKS Instruments Inc. MKSI benefits from elevated semiconductor and other advanced markets' demand. Additionally, the acquisition of Newport Corporation and superior customer relationships remain key drivers. MKS has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters registering an average positive surprise of 4.1%. The company is witnessing northbound estimate revisions — up 4 cents to $8.42 per share for the current year in the last 30 days. The company’s earnings and revenue are expected to surge by 41.3% and 15.6%, respectively, this fiscal year. MKS has a Zacks Rank #2. Shares have returned 24.8% year to date. HP Inc. HPQ continues to focus on product innovation & differentiation, pricing, and marketing and sales activities. It has aided the company to trigger demand for its PC and Printing products in the market. Recently-acquired Samsung’s printing (S-Print) business has added support to the company gain market share in the $55-billion high-end copy-machine market. HP has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the preceding four quarters with an average positive surprise of 4.2%. The company is witnessing northbound estimate revisions — up 2 cents to $2 per share for the current year in the last seven days. The company’s earnings and revenue are expected to surge by 21.2% and 10.5%, respectively, this fiscal year. HP carries a Zacks Rank #2. Shares have returned 12.1% year to date. Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies It's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation. See Them Free>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report HP Inc. (HPQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Western Digital Corporation (WDC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Seagate Technology PLC (STX) : Free Stock Analysis Report MKS Instruments, Inc. (MKSI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.<doc-sep>Chinese stocks like Baidu are heating up right now. Here is why you should play China names despite a riskier broader market. Don't be scared to trade China. As the trade war volatility escalates between the U.S. and China, Trump has added more fuel to fire with his latest offensive to restrict Chinese investment in U.S. tech companies. Nevertheless, it seems China is still steaming ahead with its core strategy of innovation and technological reliance. We used the TipRanks Platform to track three fierce Chinese digital stocks that are set to soar right now, including Alibaba (BABA) - Get Report , Baidu (BIDU) - Get Report and JD.com (JD) - Get Report . Alibaba Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba has eclipsed the headlines for all the right reasons. CNN recently reported that Alibaba has joined the top 10 of the world's biggest brands and ranked at number nine alongside Chinese tech group Tencent (TCEHY) , Google (GOOGL) - Get Report and Apple (AAPL) - Get Report . The report cited how Alibaba "has seen its brand value nearly double to $113 billion as it has expanded further into fields like mobile payments and cloud computing." Alibaba has also lept into the spotlight for a series of aggressive developments, such as "leading a consortium of investors to buy about 10 percent of Chinese courier ZTO Express (Cayman) for $1.38 billion." This strategy by Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma should help the company build an efficient logistics network. Unsurprisingly, Alibaba has also received positive scores from the Street. Based on ratings from 12 top-performing analysts, the stock scores a strong buy consensus. Plus, Alibaba received an impressive average 12-month price projection of $250.50 (22% upside potential from current levels). For example, MKM Partners analyst Rob Sanderson has just elevated his price target to $280 from $260 previously. Sanderson cited the e-commerce company's strong quarter and encouraging outlook. He also highlighted this: "investor focus is shifting from investment spending to profitability and long-term opportunity, with the core commerce segment showing a healthy performance." Watch more about Alibaba's business below. Baidu Baidu has also been thrust into the limelight for a succession of intriguing developments. In a move that signals Baidu's plans for expansion into the world of blockchain, the company's blockchain division announced a new 'Superchain' protocol, which aims to reduce mining energy consumption. Baidu has also inked a new contract to divest it's global DU ads and tools apps and signed a new agreement for its Financial Services Business. On the back of these growth drivers, Baidu boasts a bullish strong buy consensus from the Street. Based on five top-performing analyst buy ratings, the stock has a $299.80 12-month average price projection (20% upside potential). The analyst sentiment for the internet giant has also been generally bullish. Oppenheimer analyst Jason Helfstein maintains a success rating of 70% on Baidu's stock and recently reiterated a buy rating, with price target of $295 (18% upside). Although the company was hit with reports that its chief operating officer Lu Qi, who oversaw the artificial intelligence (AI) expansion sector, stepped down last week, Helfstein isn't fazed. He cited numerous reasons to stay bullish, including: "(1) core revenue (AI-driven Search & Feed) should remain strong, as Search leadership is unchanged; (2) strategic restructuring almost complete (reduced O2O losses, sale of Baidu Delivery, IPO of iQiyi and planned spin-off; and (3) concerns on spending discipline post-Qi are exaggerated, in our view." Other top analysts like Goldman Sachs's Piyush Mubayi upgraded his rating to buy with a price target of $319. Mubayi cited a re-acceleration in core search, improved capital allocation, and progress in DuerOS autonomous driving project with Apollo as his thesis. JD.com Chinese e-commerce giant and fierce Alibaba rival, JD.com, has also received a strong buy consensus rating from the Street. The digital retailer specializes in electronics products, home appliances, digital communications, computers, apparel, and more. Although the momentum for JD.com's stock declined in the last three months from factors such as warehouse issues and a ramp up in competition from the crowded Chinese e-commerce market, sentiment seems to be shifting favorably. Top-performing Stifel Nicolaus analyst Scott Devitt believes that JD.com's stock is set for recovery and cited numerous reasons, such as net product revenue growth and accelerated net services revenue. He believes this is being fueled by merchant advertising revenues and logistics services. Devitt holds a 77% average success rating and maintained a buy rating on JD.com with a price target of $50 (31% upside potential). Plus, JD has a number of interesting growth drivers and initiatives in the pipeline. JD recently expanded to Australia and announced the launch of a joint blockchain traceability program with Australian firm InterAgri that leverages blockchain technology. There are also reports that CEO Richard Liu is aiming to improve the company's delivery networks. As part of this strategy, JD.com plans to establish 180 drone airports in China to help speed up delivery and help the company save money. How to Play Today's Risky Markets. Click here and register for free to watch what top experts from Bank of America, Fisher Investments, Invesco and Wells Fargo say smart investors should do now. Author: Jenny Lynton. TipRanks offers investors the latest insight into eight different sectors by tracking the activity of 4,500 analysts, 5,000 financial bloggers and even 37,000 corporate insiders. As of this writing, Jenny Lynton did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.<doc-sep>This page has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved or endorsed by the companies represented herein. Each of the company logos represented herein are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; Dow Jones & Company; Nasdaq, Inc.; Forbes Media, LLC; Investor's Business Daily, Inc.; and Morningstar, Inc. Copyright 2021 Zacks Investment Research | 10 S Riverside Plaza Suite #1600 | Chicago, IL 60606 At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. This dedication to giving investors a trading advantage led to the creation of our proven Zacks Rank stock-rating system. Since 1988 it has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +25.57% per year. These returns cover a period from January 1, 1988 through April 5, 2021. Zacks Rank stock-rating system returns are computed monthly based on the beginning of the month and end of the month Zacks Rank stock prices plus any dividends received during that particular month. A simple, equally-weighted average return of all Zacks Rank stocks is calculated to determine the monthly return. The monthly returns are then compounded to arrive at the annual return. Only Zacks Rank stocks included in Zacks hypothetical portfolios at the beginning of each month are included in the return calculations. Zacks Ranks stocks can, and often do, change throughout the month. Certain Zacks Rank stocks for which no month-end price was available, pricing information was not collected, or for certain other reasons have been excluded from these return calculations. Visit Performance Disclosure for information about the performance numbers displayed above. Visit www.zacksdata.com to get our data and content for your mobile app or website. Real time prices by BATS. Delayed quotes by Sungard. NYSE and AMEX data is at least 20 minutes delayed. NASDAQ data is at least 15 minutes delayed. 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WF vs. BEN: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option? On Monday, the Nasdaq hit a fresh record high for the first time in almost three months. A rally in tech and consumer discretionary stocks ensued, indicating that investors are choosing to ignore trade tensions and geopolitical conflicts. Instead, markets are focusing on strong economic fundamentals following last Friday’s strong jobs report. The major catalyst to the day’s gains was a surge in shares of Apple Inc. AAPL, which hit an all-time high. Analysts believe that this is further evidence of upbeat sentiment about the economy. With investors choosing to show confidence in a sector which has had a turbulent ride this year, this seems to be the best time to invest in tech stocks that are part of the Nasdaq. Apple, Amazon, Microsoft Power Broader Gains The Nasdaq gained 0.7% on Monday, finishing at a record level for the first time since Mar 12. One of the major drivers of the day’s gains was a surge in shares of Apple. The iPhone maker’s stocks gained 0.8% to hit an all-time high. Gains were primarily attributable to the enthusiastic response to the company’s WWDC 2018 keynote. Shares of Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN also contributed to the day’s gains, increasing 1.5% to hit a record high. Microsoft Corporation’s MSFT shares also gained 0.9% to hit a new record. These gains came after the software giant revealed that it was buying software developer GitHub for $7.5 billion. As a result, the Nasdaq failed to hit an intraday high by only around 0.5%. Investors Focusing on Economic Fundamentals Stocks had surged last Friday following encouraging data from the Department of Labor. The economy added 223,000 jobs in May even as unemployment plummeted to an 18-year low. Additionally, wage gains remained limited, curbing fears about surging inflation which had caused losses in February. Investors continued to focus on the positive sentiment that this report spurred on Monday. Analysts are of the opinion that the surge in shares of Apple was an expression of confidence in the state of the U.S. economy. Story continues In choosing to focus on strong fundamentals, investors ignored a spate of headwinds that dampened sentiments recently. These include trade tensions with China and geopolitical concerns emanating from the discord with North Korea and the political situation in Italy. Our Choices Fresh evidence of the United States’ robust economic health has pushed investors toward riskier assets over the last two trading days. Tech stocks, which have had a somewhat rocky ride this year, are once again the favored option of investors. Investing in large tech stocks which make up the Nasdaq looks like a smart option at this time. However, picking winning stocks may be difficult. This is where our VGM Score comes in. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM Score. We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks, each of which has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a good VGM Score. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Micron Technology, Inc. MU has established itself as one of the leading worldwide providers of semiconductor memory solutions. Micron has a VGM Score of A. The company’s projected growth rate for the current year is more than 100% The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 4.7% over the last 30 days. Seagate Technology Plc STX is the second-largest manufacturer of hard disk drives (HDDs) in the United States. Seagate has a VGM Score of A. It has expected earnings growth of 29.6% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved 2.9% over the last 30 days. Western Digital Corporation WDC is one of the largest HDD producers in the United States. Western Digital has a VGM Score of A. The company has expected earnings growth of 45.8% for the current year. For the current year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has improved 0.1% over the last 30 days. NetApp, Inc. NTAP provides enterprise storage and data management software and hardware products and services. NetApp has a VGM Score of B.