Best Tech Stocks of 2012
2012 was an exceptional year for stocks. In fact, a lot of stocks are sitting at or near their highest prices in years after a great 2012. One of the best sectors in the market during 2012 was the tech sector. While the tech sector is still not on fire like in the late 90s, a lot of stock picks are making a serious comeback. Here are the four best tech stocks of 2012.
Apple had an excellent 2012 with a return of 44 percent. Apple enjoyed such a rise due to a couple of factors. Many investors realized that the company was undervalued by any measure and with a flight to quality; Apple was a perfect choice. For a while, the company was the most valued company in the world, though now it has backed off of that status. Either way, Apple shareholders enjoyed a solid performance in 2012.
Yahoo also had a pretty solid year with a gain of almost 17 percent. A lot of investors have forgotten about this company as Google is the clear leader in search. Yahoo has quietly been gaining market share and has been able to make a lot of inroads in search. Many investors bought Yahoo thinking that they may be purchased, but investors, instead, enjoyed a slow and steady gain in 2012.
In the cell phone arena, Qualcomm had a solid 15.5 percent gain. With many cell phone makers using chipsets based on Qualcomm, it is no wonder the company has had a solid couple of years. Investors love Qualcomm as they seem to be on the cutting edge of a lot of new products and ideas.
Though Amazon is not purely tech, many people consider the company a tech company. In 2012, Amazon had a stellar year with a 45 percent gain. Though Amazon continues to lose money, it is gaining a stronghold in the online retail sector. Not only that, the company is taking aim at brick and mortar stores. Either way, Amazon has been a solid stock for a lot of investors.
A lot of tech names did well in 2012. The reality is some tech names are now starting to recover nicely. In the past, a lot of technology companies possessed rich valuations. Now, many technology companies are making a lot of money and investors are pushing the shares to rich values.