Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

Shares of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX  ) surged to a new 52-week high Friday, as Hulu's owners decided not to sell after all.

"Hulu has emerged as one of the most consumer-friendly, technologically innovative viewing platforms in the digital era. As its evolution continues, Disney and its partners are committing resources to enable Hulu to achieve its maximum potential," Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) chief Robert Iger said in a statement.

Those "partners" include 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOX  ) and NBCUniversal. All three of Hulu's owners had been trying to sell the service to a variety of bidders, most recently DIRECTV.

But now Hulu's owners want to revisit the business and will invest $750 million to improve its prospects. Perhaps a greater emphasis on original programming is in order? Netflix has enjoyed fatter profits and surging subscriber growth since making the decision to fund new shows.

For his part, Fox President and Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey said that his company is "fully aligned" with Disney in its vision and goals for Hulu. NBCUniversal is a silent partner in Hulu, giving up voting interests as a condition of its merger with Comcast.

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Houston Wire & Cable Co (HWCC)

Houston Wire & Cable Company, incorporated in 1997, provides wire and cable and related services to the United States market. The Company offers its customers with a single-source solution for wire and cable, hardware and related services. The Company offers products in categories of wire and cable, including continuous and interlocked armor cable, control and power cable, electronic wire and cable, flexible and portable cords, instrumentation and thermocouple cable, lead and high temperature cable, medium voltage cable, premise and category wire and cable, wire rope and wire rope slings, as well as nylon slings, chain, shackles and other related hardware. It also offers private branded products, including its brand LifeGuard, a low-smoke, zero-halogen cable. On January 1, 2011, the acquired companies were merged into HWC Wire & Cable Company.

The Company�� products are used in repair and replacement, also known as maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and related projects, larger-scale projects in the utility, industrial and infrastructure markets and a diverse range of industrial applications, including communications, energy, engineering and construction, general manufacturing, mining, construction, oilfield services, infrastructure, petrochemical, transportation, utility, wastewater treatment, marine construction and marine transportation. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company served approximately 6,000 customers.

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 Houston Wire & Cable (Nasdaq: HWCC  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Clearwire Corporation(CLWR)

Clearwire Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides fourth generation wireless broadband services in the United States. The company builds and operates mobile broadband networks that offer high-speed mobile Internet and residential Internet access services. It serves retail customers through its CLEAR brand. The company markets its products and services directly to consumers, as well as through cellular retailers, consumer electronics stores, satellite television dealers, and computer sales and repair stores; and through company-operated retail outlets. As of December 31, 2011, it had approximately 1.3 million retail and 9.1 million wholesale subscribers. The company is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Clearwire Corporation is a subsidiary of Sprint HoldCo LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), a leading provider of 4G mobile broadband services in the U.S., and EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELNK), a leading IT services and communications provider, reported a wholesale agreement that will enable EarthLink to offer its customers high-speed fixed and mobile broadband service using Clearwire’s 4G network.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  There aren't a whole lot of things that Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR  ) has that Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) wants, but spectrum is certainly one of them. The Wall Street Journal reports that Big Red has offered Clearwire up to $1.5 billion to take some chunks of spectrum off its hands. Clearwire has valuable spectrum holdings in numerous key domestic markets, which Verizon could use to boost network capacity.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  In the latest chapter of 2013's biggest M&A drama, it looks like DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) may now be the favored suitor for spectrum-rich Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR  ) , while Sprint (NYSE: S  ) may no longer be the target of choice for Japanese bank SoftBank. The news comes as a surprise to many, as Clearwire's board had long lent its support to Sprint as the appropriate buyer for the company, despite multiple increases in DISH's offer. As the final iteration of this buyout saga begins to take shape, here's what you need to know to make the right investment.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR  ) were on fire today, climbing up as much as 31% after DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) raised its bid for the 4G network provider from $3.30 to $4.40 a share, topping Sprint Nextel's (NYSE: S  ) bid by $1.

Top 5 Building Product Companies To Buy For 2015: Fleetmatics Group PLC (FLTX)

Fleetmatics Group PLC (FleetMatics), incorporated on October 28, 2004, is a provider of fleet management solutions delivered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). The Company offers Web-based and mobile application solutions, which provide fleet operators with visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage and other insights into their mobile workforce. The Company offers fleet management software solutions. The Company�� FleetMatics-branded solutions sold under the FleetMatics or SageQuest names. Its solutions are accessed through a Web browser or mobile application and provide its customers with actionable business intelligence. Its SaaS offering consists of the easy-to-use components: Tracking Alerts, Route Replay, Geofencing and Landmarks, FleetTracking Dashboard, Fleet Reports, Mobile App, Speed Limits, Panoramic Reporting and Benchmarking. In addition to this core SaaS offering, it also offers the additional features to its customers: Fuel Card Reporting Integration, FleetMatics Fuel Card and Navigation Unit Integration. Effective August 8, 2013, Fleetmatics Group PLC a unit of Fleetmatics Investor Holdings LP, acquired Connect2Field Holdings Pty Ltd.

The Company�� Fleet Tracking Alerts allow fleet operators to set driver performance thresholds and receive e-mail notifications when unwanted driving behavior occurs. Notifications are sent when a vehicle enters or exits specified areas, moves during specified times, or when a vehicle�� speed or idle time exceeds specified thresholds. Its Route Replay feature allows customers to play back each journey taken by their vehicles, from start up to shut down and provides customers with minute-by-minute location and speed details. Fleet operators can start, stop, pause, and change the speed of the journey replay using intuitive playback controls to monitor and analyze driver behavior. Integration with Google Maps enables customers to pinpoint vehicle location with satellite, street views and zooming capabilities.

The Company�� Geofencing and Landmarks feature allows customers to designate areas on the map, in which vehicles are allowed or not allowed to travel. Fleet operators receive notifications when a vehicle enters or exits an unauthorized location and reports are generated detailing time spent in unauthorized areas. Its FleetTracking Dashboard provides fleet operators with a way to monitor overall fleet performance through a graphical summary. This interface allows fleet operators to evaluate performance categories across their fleet, including speed, engine on-time, vehicle idling, vehicle mileage and number of stops. Fleet operators can also view individual vehicle performance.

The Company provides its customers with over 40 pre-built on-demand reports, which they can access to analyze fleet data. Its reports contain information about vehicle movement and use, including vehicle location, ignition on and off time, engine idle time, arrival and departure times, distance traveled, hours worked, and vehicle speed. Its Mobile App is a portable software application, which fleet operators can use to access actionable business intelligence and insights over mobile devices. It includes the FleetTracking Dashboard, Reports, Tracking Alerts, Route Replay, and Geofencing and Landmarks.

With the Company�� Speed Limits feature, the Company provides a range of speed limit information across all types of roads and geographies, including local and residential roads. Speed limit is powered by FleetMatics RoadSpeed, a specialized database of average speed values derived from billions of points of vehicle movement. Its panoramic reporting engine features in-depth historical trending analyses and strategic comparative information from the customers, such as driver and organizational performance benchmarking. Its Fuel Card Reporting Integration feature integrates customers��fuel card usage information into its fleet management software platform. It provides its customers with an on-demand fue! l usage s! ummary for an entire fleet, as well as detailed information on individual vehicles. Reports are generated, which compare fuel purchases with vehicle location data.

The Company has partnered with an independent global fleet card provider to deliver a Universal Platinum MasterCard. Its Navigation Unit Integration features with Garmin global positioning system (GPS) navigation devices, streamlines dispatching and communication by integrating its fleet management software with its customers��GPS navigation devices. It provides customers with turn-by-turn directions, notification of job status, estimated time of arrival to the next job site, and easy-to-use messaging capabilities. Drivers receive automatic job updates, eliminating the need to manually enter addresses while driving. It offers customers the choice of two fleet management branded solutions, FleetMatics and SageQuest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Fleetmatics Group (FLTX) is another Europe stock with the characteristics needed to be a leader in the European markets this year. The company makes software that allows operators of commercial vehicle fleets to track vehicles and learn about vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage. The Irish company has seen earnings explode this year with growth of more than 700% in bottom-line profit increases.

• [By John Udovich]

  On Wednesday, small cap FleetMatics Group PLC (NYSE: FLTX) sank 7.99% to $32.80 and shares have been in a sort of freefall for the past few weeks after outperforming the First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index (NASDAQ: SKYY) last summer. So what is going on and should you be investing or shorting this small cap?

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Nanometrics Incorporated(NANO)

Nanometrics Incorporated provides high-performance process control metrology systems used primarily in the fabrication of integrated circuits, high-brightness LEDs, data storage devices, and solar photovoltaics. It offers automated metrology systems that provide optical critical dimension, thin film metrology, and wafer stress for transistor and interconnect metrology applications; the Lynx cluster metrology platform for use in wafer metrology applications, including optical critical dimension, overlay, and thin film process control; and integrated metrology systems, which provide near real-time measurements. The company's automated and integrated systems are also used in various process control applications, including dimension and film thickness measurement, device topography, and defect inspection, as well as used in the analysis of other film properties, such as optical, electrical, and material characteristics. Its process control solutions are deployed in the fabrica tion process from front-end-of-line substrate manufacturing to high-volume production of semiconductors and other devices, and to wafer-scale packaging applications. The company sells its metrology and inspection systems directly and through original equipment manufacturer channels to semiconductor manufacturers and equipment suppliers, and producers of high-brightness-LEDs, solar photovoltaics, data storage devices, silicon wafers, and photomasks worldwide. Nanometrics Incorporated was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  What:�Shares of Nanometrics Incorporated� (NASDAQ: NANO  ) �popped more than 10% during Wednesday's intraday trading, then settled to close up 7% after the company turned in better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings.�

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Synchronoss Technologies Inc.(SNCR)

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. provides on-demand transaction management solutions primarily in North America. It offers solutions to manage transactions, including device and service procurement, provisioning, activation, intelligent connectivity management, and content synchronization for communications service providers, cable operators/multi-services operators, original equipment manufacturers with embedded connectivity, and e-Tailers/retailers. The company provides ConvergenceNow, ConvergenceNow Plus+, and InterconnectNow platforms that provide on-demand order processing, transaction management, service provisioning, device activation, intelligent connectivity, and content transfer and synchronization through e-commerce, telesales, enterprise, indirect, and other retail outlet channels. It also offers PerformancePartner Portal, a graphical user interface that allows the entry of transaction data into the gateway; Gateway Manager, which offers the capability to fulfill multiple types of transactions; WorkFlow Manager that provides interaction with third-party relationships, as well as enables customers to have a single transaction view, including data from third-party systems; and Visibility Manager, which offers a centralized reporting platform for intelligent analytics around the workflow, transaction management information, historical trending, and mobile reporting for users to receive critical transaction data on mobile devices. In addition, the company provides Content Synchronization Portal that facilitates content migration across devices from different platforms; Device Client, which offers connectivity for activation, connection management, and content migration and synchronization for feature phones, smartphones, computers, and tablets. It sells its products and services through direct sales force and strategic partners. Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ: SNCR  ) have popped today by as much as 12% after the company announced first-quarter results that topped expectations.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SNCR) was added to the Credit Suisse U.S. focus list on Monday. The company trounced earnings expectations and even topped its own sales estimates for the quarter. Cloud services grew 30% from a year ago and now comprise nearly a third of total revenue. Deutsche Bank has a $40 price target, and the consensus number is at $38.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Synchronoss Technologies (SNCR) is a provider of on-demand transaction management solutions. This stock closed up 1% at $35.38 in Monday's trading session.

  Monday's Volume: 508,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 284,678
  
  Volume % Change: 80%

  From a technical perspective, SNCR trended up modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $34.27 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $26.60 to its recent high of $36.49. During that move, shares of SNCR have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of SNCR within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if SNCR manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $36 to its 52-week high at $36.49 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SNCR as long as it's trending above some support at $34 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 284,678 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SNCR will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $43.

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation(CCMP)

Cabot Microelectronics Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) consumables to the semiconductor industry primarily in the United States, Asia, and Europe. CMP is a polishing process used by integrated circuit (IC) device manufacturers to planarize or flatten the multiple layers of material that are deposited upon silicon wafers in the production of advanced ICs. The company offers CMP slurries, which are liquid solutions composed of high-purity deionized water, proprietary chemical additives, and engineered abrasives that chemically and mechanically interact with the surface material of the IC device at an atomic level; and CMP polishing pads that are engineered polymeric materials designed to distribute and transport the slurry to the surface of the wafer and distribute it evenly across the wafer. Its CMP slurries are used for various polishing applications, including materials that conduct electrical signal s, such as tungsten, copper, tantalum, and aluminum; the dielectric insulating materials that separate conductive layers within logic and memory IC devices; and the disk substrates and magnetic heads used in hard disk drives. The company also designs and produces precision polishing and metrology systems to attain shape and surface finish on various optical components, such as mirrors, lenses, and prisms. It serves producers of logic IC devices and memory IC devices, as well as IC foundries. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  Not all of Granville�� best calls were in the distant past. On March 11, 2000, the day after the Nasdaq Composite Index (CCMP) jumped to a record 5048.62, Granville wrote that investors in technology stocks ��ill soon be burned.��The index, heavy on computer-related companies, tumbled about 78 percent before bottoming on Oct. 9, 2002.

• [By Whitney Kisling]

  That alert proved too optimistic and the exchange pushed back the open another 15 minutes. By 3:25 p.m., Nasdaq stocks started ticking again. With the close about 35 minutes away, both the Nasdaq Composite Index (CCMP) and the Nasdaq 100 Index began to rise.

Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.(CHKP)

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. develops, markets, and supports a range of software, and combined hardware and software products and services for information technology (IT) security applications worldwide. The company offers a range of network and gateway security solutions, data and endpoint security solutions, and management solutions. Its network security gateways enables its customers to implement their security policies on network traffic between internal networks and the Internet, as well as between internal networks and private networks that are shared with partners. The company?s endpoint security solutions provide various software blades that run on individual computers connected to the network, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, and other mobile devices. It also offers technical services consisting of technical customer support programs and plans, such as enterprise based support and collaborative enterprise support; certification and education al training on the checkpoint?s products; and professional services in implementing, upgrading, and optimizing checkpoint?s products, including design planning, security implementation, and project management services. In addition, the company offers ZoneAlarm solutions that protect consumers from hackers, spyware, and identity theft. It sells its products and services through a network of channel partners, including distributors, resellers, value-added resellers, system integrators, and managed services providers to enterprises, service providers, small and medium sized businesses, and consumers. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones]

  Here�� a drill-down on two Internet technology (IT) stocks in David Tepper�� portfolio that are doing well and seem to have the technology ��t factor.��NetApp Inc. (NTAP) is a data storage provider that customizes solutions for a wide variety of applications, such as enabling original equipment manufacturers to offer IT and storage solutions that serve specific customer requirements. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (CHKP) from Israel is on a global mission to make the Internet secure, also via IT security.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  If you saw the alarming headlines circulating everywhere this morning, then there's a good chance you've already taken on a new position in Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ:FTNT) and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:CHKP). Both are solutions to the underscored problem, and truth be told, likely will benefit from ugly reality this morning's news is spreading. FTNT and CHKP may not be the best ways to play the news-based investing theme, however. The best long-term play is a solutions provider called Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (OTCBB:STAF). While the company may not superficially sit in the same category as Fortinet or Check Point Software Technologies, fundamentally, it does, and may actually be better positioned for growth.

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

• [By John Moore]

  Hackers, phrackers, and crackers continuously find loopholes, gaps, and other open doors into our data. No matter how complex the information security or how strong the firewall, threats will persist -- and sometimes circumvent even the best-designed security technologies. The general public's new realization of just how serious cyber threats are has put cybersecurity firms in the spotlight. Barracuda Networks (NYSE: CUDA  ) , F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV  ) , and Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ: CHKP  ) are three cybersecurity firms to watch in 2014.