10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now

Reports that Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO  ) has approached Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) in a possible attempt to deepen the relationship are beginning to look more and more accurate. Yahoo! looks to be pulling away from its relationship with Microsoft, potentially as a result of the fact that Apple leans on Google�for search capabilities. Additionally, as Yahoo! makes other moves, a link up with Apple's media efforts makes sense.

In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the potential relationship between Yahoo! and Apple and what direction it might take.

Titans of tech
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech.�Click here�to keep reading.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Dyadic International Inc (DYAI)

Dyadic International, Inc. (Dyadic), incorporated in September 2002, is a holding company. The Company is a global biotechnology company. The Company has operations at the United States and the Netherlands. Dyadic uses its technologies to conduct research and development (R&D) and commercial activities for the discovery, development, manufacture and sale of enzymes and proteins for the bioenergy, industrial enzyme, and biopharmaceutical industries. The Company derives all of its revenues from the licensing of its technologies, the sale of its enzymes and conducting research and development (R&D) activities for third parties. The Company operates in two segments: the United States operations and The Netherlands operations. The United States segment includes a subsidiary in Poland.

The United States operating segment is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of enzyme products, proteins, peptides and other bio-molecules derived from genes and a collaborative licensor of enabling technologies for the development and manufacturing of biological products and use in R&D. The Netherlands operating segment is also a researcher and developer of enzyme products, proteins, peptides and other bio-molecules derived from genes and, to date, has mainly invested in R&D activities.

Dyadic�� R&D activities focus on its fungal strains and associated technologies. Dyadic uses its Trichoderma and C1 fungal strains in the production of its industrial enzymes. Dyadic manufactures and sells liquid and dry enzyme products to global customers for use within the animal feed, pulp and paper, starch and alcohol, food and brewing, textiles, and biofuels industries.

Dyadic also utilizes a technology platform based on its patented and C1 fungus (the C1 Platform Technology), which enables the development and manufacture of proteins and enzymes for diverse market opportunities. The C1 Platform Technology can also be used to screen for the discovery of novel genes and proteins. The C1 Platf! orm Technology also has the potential of developing and producing other biological products such as antibodies, vaccines, proteins and polypeptides for the biopharmaceutical industry.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: UTStarcom Inc.(UTSI)

UTStarcom Holdings Corp. designs and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based telecommunications infrastructure products to telecommunications service providers and operators worldwide. It provides solutions in IPTV, interactive (iD) TV, Internet TV, and broadband, as well as related installation and maintenance services. It offers multimedia communications products, including RollingStream, an IPTV solution that enables a service provider to deliver broadcast television and on-demand video services to residential and commercial premises over a switched network architecture; mSwitch, a next generation network solution that enables service providers to migrate from existing circuit platforms to a next generation IP-based switch architecture, or to launch new applications in new deployment environments that have no legacy infrastructure; and a personal access system, as well as provides related consulting, technical, project, quality, and maintenance support-level services. The co mpany also provides broadband infrastructure products comprising broadband access products consisting of multi-service access node products; digital subscriber line (DSL) products, such as DSL modems, set-top boxes, and voice over the internet devices for residential and business customers; and gigabit Ethernet passive optical network products, as well as optical transport products, including packet optical transport network products, multi-service transport platform, and resilient packet ring. It sells its products through direct sales, original equipment manufacturers, distributors, resellers, agents, and licensees primarily in China, Japan, India, and other Asian markets; the United States; Latin America; and Europe. The company was formerly known as UTStarcom, Inc. and changed its name to UTStarcom Holdings Corp. in June 2011. UTStarcom Holdings Corp. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

Hot Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now: Xilinx Inc (XLNX)

Xilinx, Inc. (Xilinx), incorporated on February 5, 1984, designs, develops and markets programmable platforms. These programmable platforms have a number of components, including integrated circuits (ICs) in the form of programmable logic devices (PLDs), including Extensible Processing Platforms (EPPs); software design tools to program the PLDs; targeted reference designs; printed circuit boards, and intellectual property (IP), which consists of Xilinx and various third-party verification and IP cores. In addition to its programmable platforms, Xilinx provides design services, customer training, field engineering and technical support. The Company�� PLDs include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs) that its customers program to perform logic functions, and EPPs. Xilinx�� products are offered to electronic equipment manufacturers in end markets, such as wired and wireless communications, industrial, scientific and medical, aerospace and defense, audio, video and broadcast, consumer, automotive and data processing. The Company sells its products globally through independent domestic and foreign distributors and through direct sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) by a network of independent sales representative firms and by a direct sales management organization. In January 2011, the Company acquired AutoESL Design Technologies, Inc. In August 2012, the Company acquired embedded Linux solutions provider PetaLogix.

Product Families

The 7 series devices that comprise the Company�� 28-nanometer (nm) product families are fabricated on a high-K metal gate 28-nm process technology. These devices are based on an architecture, which enables design and IP portability and re-use across all families, as well as provides designers the ability to achieve the appropriate combination of I/O support, performance, feature quantities, packaging and power consumption to address a range of applications. The 7 series devices consist of! three families: Virtex-7 FPGA, Kintex-7 FPGAs and Artix-7 FPGAs. The Zynq-7000 family is the family of Xilinx EPPs. The Virtex-6 FPGA family consists of 13 devices and is the sixth generation in the Virtex series of FPGAs.

Virtex-6 FPGAs are fabricated on a high-performance, 40-nm process technology. There are three Virtex-6 families: Virtex-6 LXT FPGAs, Virtex-6 SXT FPGAs and Virtex-6 HXT FPGAs. The Spartan-6 family is the PLD industry�� 45-nm high-volume FPGA family, consisting of 11 devices in two product families: Spartan-6 LX FPGAs and Spartan-6 LXT FPGAs. The Virtex-5 FPGA family consists of 26 devices in five product families: Virtex-5 LX FPGAs for logic-intensive designs, Virtex-5 LXT FPGAs for high-performance logic with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 SXT FPGAs for high-performance DSP with serial connectivity, Virtex-5 FXT FPGAs for embedded processing with serial connectivity and Virtex-5 TXT FPGAs for high-bandwidth serial connectivity. Prior generation Virtex families include Virtex-4, Virtex-II Pro, Virtex-II, Virtex-E and the original Virtex family. Spartan family FPGAs include 90-nm Spartan-3 FPGAs, the Spartan-3E family and the Spartan-3A family. Prior generation Spartan families include Spartan-IIE, Spartan-II, Spartan XL and the original Spartan family.

Design Platforms and Services

The Company offers three types of programmable platforms. The Base Platform is the delivery vehicle for all of its new silicon offerings used to develop and run customer-specific software applications and hardware designs. The Base Platform consists of FPGA silicon; Integrated Software Environment (ISE) Design Suite design environment; integration support of optional third-party synthesis, simulation, and signal integrity tools; reference designs; development boards and IP. The Domain-Specific Platform targets one of the three primary Xilinx FPGA user profiles: the embedded processing developer; the DSP developer; or the logic/connectivity developer. The Market-S! pecific P! latform enables software or hardware developers to build and run their specific application or solution. Built for specific markets, such as automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications, audio, video and broadcast, industrial, or scientific and medical, the Market-Specific Platform integrates both the Base and Domain-Specific Platforms.

During April 2012, Xilinx introduced the Vivado Design Suite. Vivado supports Xilinx 7 series FPGAs and Zynq EPPs. Xilinx and various third parties offer hundreds of no charge and fee-bearing IP core licenses covering Ethernet, memory controllers Interlaken and PCIe interface, as well as domain-specific IP in the areas of embedded, DSP and connectivity, and market-specific IP cores. The Company also offers development kits, including hardware, design tools, IP and reference designs. Xilinx offers a range of configuration products, including one-time programmable and in-system programmable storage devices to configure Xilinx FPGAs. These programmable read-only memory (PROM) products support all of the Company�� FPGA devices. Xilinx and certain third parties have developed and offer a ecosystem of IP, boards, tools, services and support through the Xilinx alliance program. Xilinx also works with these third parties to promote its programmable platforms through third-party tools, IP, software, boards and design services. Xilinx engineering services provide customers with engineering, ranging from hands-on training to full design creation and implementation.

The Company competes with Altera Corporation, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation and Microsemi Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Programmable logic solutions provider Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) was upgraded by analysts at Pacific Crest early on Monday, as the company should benefit from the LTE upgrade in China.

  The analysts upgraded XLNX from “Sector Perform” to “Outperform” and see shares reaching $55. This price target suggests an 18% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $46.54.

  Xilinx shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Monday. The stock is up 29.78% year-to-date.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Xilinx Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) was recently raised to an overweight rating at Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and should be able to contain any earnings degradation as a result from lowered orders from Cisco. The consensus price target for the stock stands at $47, and investors are paid a 2.2% dividend.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Power Integrations Inc.(POWI)

Power Integrations, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary, high-voltage, analog, and mixed-signal integrated circuits (ICs) in the United States and internationally. The company offers alternating current to direct current power conversion products, including TOPSwitch, TinySwitch, and LinkSwitch that addresses power supplies ranging from less than 1 watt of output up to approximately 50 watts of output. These products are used in mobile-device chargers, consumer appliances, utility meters, liquid crystal display monitors, standby power supplies for desktop computers and televisions, and other consumer and industrial applications. It also provides various products for use in applications up to approximately 500 watts of output, such as Hiper family power-conversion and power-factor-correction products for high-power applications, including main power supplies for desktop computers, televisions, and game consoles, as well as light emitting diode stre et lights; CapZero and SenZero, which are designed to enhance the energy-efficiency of power supplies and reduce standby consumption by eliminating particular sources of power waste within a power supply; and high-voltage diodes comprising Qspeed diodes. In addition, the company offers high-voltage DC-DC products comprising The DPA-Switch family of products that are monolithic high-voltage power conversion ICs for use in power-over-Ethernet powered devices, such as voice-over-Internet protocol phones and security cameras, as well as network hubs, line cards, servers, digital PBX phones, DC-DC converter modules, and industrial controls. It serves communications, consumer, computer, and industrial electronics markets. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and merchant power supply manufacturers through direct sales staff and a network of independent sales representatives and distributors. Power Integrations, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Power Integrations (POWI) designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary, high-voltage, analog integrated circuits for use in AC-DC and DC-DC power conversion in the consumer, communications, computer and industrial electronics markets. This stock closed up 5.9% at $55.15 in Wednesday's trading session.

  Wednesday's Volume: 571,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 218,547
  
  Volume % Change: 173%

  From a technical perspective, POWI ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $50.68 with above-average volume. This move also pushed shares of POWI into breakout and new 52-week-high territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $55.38. At last check, POWI closed a bit off its intraday high and volume was well above its three-month average action of 218,547 shares.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in POWI as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $52.60 and then once it sustains a move or close above Wednesday's high of $55.59 with volume that this near or above 218,547 shares. If we see that move soon, then POWI will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $60 to $62.

• [By CRWE]

  Power Integrations (Nasdaq:POWI), the leader in high-voltage integrated circuits for energy-efficient power conversion, reported that Balu Balakrishnan, the company�� president and CEO, will present at the NASDAQ OMX 28th Investor Program in London on June 26, 2012 at 3:45 p.m. British Summer Time (10:45 a.m. Eastern time).

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: IPG Photonics Corporation(IPGP)

IPG Photonics Corporation develops and manufactures fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, and diode lasers. Its laser products include low, medium, and high output power lasers from 0.5 to 2 microns in wavelength; fiber pigtailed packaged diodes and fiber coupled direct diode laser systems; high-energy pulsed lasers, multi-wavelength and tunable lasers, and single-polarization and single-frequency lasers; solid-state lasers; laser diode chips and packaged laser diodes operating at 9XX nanometers; and high power optical fiber delivery cables, fiber couplers, beam switches, chillers, and accessories. The company also offers erbium-doped fiber and Raman amplifiers, and integrated communications systems; ytterbium and thulium specialty fiber amplifiers and broadband light sources; and single-frequency, linearly polarized, and polarization-maintaining amplifier products, as well as integrated laser systems, including welding seam stepper and picker, and laser marking and welding syst ems. Its lasers and amplifiers are used in materials processing applications; manufacturing of commercial systems; and research in advanced technologies and products by commercial firms, and academic and government institutions, as well as micro-processing, surface treatment, drilling, soldering, annealing, hardening, rapid prototyping, and laser-assisted machining. In addition, the company designs and manufactures dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transport systems; a range of fiber amplifiers; and Raman pump lasers, which enable data transmission in broadband access and DWDM optical networks, as well as sells commercial fiber and diode lasers for use in medical laser systems. It markets its products to original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and end users through direct sales force, as well as through agreements with independent sales representatives and distributors worldwide. IPG Photonics Corporation was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Oxford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, fiber-based laser and amplifier maker IPG Photonics (NASDAQ: IPGP  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Tele Celular Sul Participacoes S.A.(TSU)

TIM Participacoes S.A. provides mobile telecommunications services through global system mobile (GSM) technology to business and individual customers in Brazil. It provides prepaid and post paid services. The company also offers value-added services, including short message services or text messaging, multimedia messaging services, push-mail, Blackberry services, video call, turbo mail, wireless application protocol downloads, Web browsing, business data solutions, songs, games, TV access, voice mail, conference calling, chats, and other content and services, as well as interconnection services to fixed line and mobile service providers. In addition, it provides fixed telecommunications services for data, local, long distance, and international modalities. Further, the company sells handset models and BlackBerry from various manufacturers, including Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, Ericsson, and BlackBerry through its dealer network, which consists of its own stores, franch ises, authorized dealers, and department stores. As of December 31, 2010, its services were marketed through a distribution network of approximately 8,989 points of sale, which include approximately 70 company owned stores. The company also had 398,392 recharging points for prepaid services. It offers mobile telecommunications services under TIM brand to approximately 51 million customers. The company was formerly known as Tele Celular Sul Participacoes S.A. and changed its name to TIM Participacoes S.A. in August 2004. TIM Participacoes S.A. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. TIM Participacoes S.A. is a subsidiary of TIM Brasil Servicos e Participacoes S.A.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Orckit Communications Limited(ORCT)

Orckit Communications Ltd. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of telecom equipment. It facilitates telecommunication providers' delivery of broadband residential, business, and mobile services over wireline or wireless networks with its family of products. The company?s product portfolio includes packet transport network switches, a multi protocol label switching (MPLS) and MPLS transport profile dual stack based portfolio enabling packet, as well as legacy services over packet networks with a set of transport features. Orckit Communications markets its products directly and indirectly through strategic alliances, as well as distribution and reseller partners worldwide. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: FEI Company(FEIC)

FEI Company supplies scientific instruments for nanoscale imaging, analysis, and prototyping that enable research, development, and manufacturing in industrial, academic, and research institutional applications. Its products include transmission electron microscopes and scanning electron microscopes (SEMs); DualBeam systems, which include a SEM and focused ion beam system (FIB) on a single platform; and stand-alone FIBs. The company?s Electronics segment offers products used in laboratories to enhance new product development and increase yields by enabling 3D wafer metrology, defect analysis, root cause failure analysis, and circuit edit for modifying device structures in the semiconductor equipment and related industries, such as manufacturers of data storage equipment, solar panels, and light-emitting diodes. FEI Company?s Materials Science segment provides atomic-level resolution images and permit development, analysis, and production of products that are used in mini ng for automated mineralogy, and oil and gas exploration to universities, and public and private research laboratories, as well as natural resources, petrochemicals, metals, automobiles, aerospace, and forensics industries. The company?s Life Sciences segment offers ultra-high resolution imaging products that allow structural and cellular biologists and drug researchers to create 3D reconstructions of biological structures, as well as used in particle analysis, and a range of pathology and quality control applications. FEI Company?s Service and Components segment provides technical support products and customers. The company sells its products through independent agents, distributors, and representatives in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and internationally. FEI Company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Numerex Corp.(NMRX)

Numerex Corp. provides business services, technology, and products used in the development and support of machine-to-machine solutions for the enterprise and government markets worldwide. The company offers Numerex DNA that includes hardware and smart devices, cellular and satellite network services, and software applications that are delivered through Numerex FAST (Foundation Application Software Technology). Its customers subscribe to device management, network, and application services through hosted platforms. The company distributes its products through value added resellers, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturers. It serves security, energy and utilities, healthcare, financial services, government, transportation, and supply chain markets. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Numerex (Nasdaq: NMRX  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Numerex's competitive position could be.

10 Best Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Cbeyond Inc.(CBEY)

Cbeyond, Inc. provides managed information technology (IT) and communications services to small businesses in the United States. Its services include local and long-distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile services, broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, Web hosting, fax-to-email, data backup, file-sharing, virtual private networking, and cloud servers; and cloud applications, data center infrastructure as a service, cloud private branch exchange phone systems, metro Ethernet, multi-protocol label switching, information security, administration management, and professional services to migrate and manage customer environments. It sells its products and services through direct sales; value-added resellers, local area network consultants, and other IT and communications consultants; and managed services providers, systems integrators, and software vendors. The company was formerly known as Cbeyond Communications, Inc. and changed its name to Cbeyond, Inc. in July 2006. Cbeyond, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Cbeyond (NASDAQ: CBEY) shares reached a new 52-week low of $6.07. Cbeyond's PEG ratio is -1.19.

  Swisher Hygiene (NASDAQ: SWSH) shares touched a new 52-week low of $0.732. Swisher Hygiene appointed William Pierce as its new president and CEO.