With numerous positive catalysts for not only the second quarter but for the rest of the year, some of the top chip and chip equipment names could really be good portfolio additions before the slew of earnings start to hit the tape. While technology as a whole has been a strong sector this year, some of the chip names have lagged and may be poised to play catch-up in the second half.

A new report from Credit Suisse highlights specific stocks rated Outperform that could have solid earnings, with many having the potential to exceed street estimates. With specific catalysts driving the top names on their list, not only could the second quarter be good, the rest of the year could prove to be outstanding.

Avago Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: AVGO) not only gets a huge chunk of its business from Apple, which has multiple product introductions set for the second half, but it is a big provider in the cloud/hyperscale data center and networking segment. The company also supplies Cisco with application-specific integrated circuits for a variety of high-end gear.

Avago indirectly sells into Scientific Atlanta by supplying integrated circuits for disk drives that end up in DVRs as well. Investors are paid a 1.6% dividend. The Credit Suisse price target for the stock is $75. The Thomson/First Call consensus target is higher at $79.95. Avago closed Monday at $74.04 a share.

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Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) has a new commitment to smartphone and mobile applications, and combined with a resurgence of PC growth this year, it may make Intel one of the best large cap stocks to buy ahead of earnings. The Credit Suisse team sees earnings power of $3.00 for Intel, and the company is best positioned to benefit from increasing data analytics schemes. Intel trades at a very low 14.7 times forward earnings. Investors are paid a solid 3.0% dividend. Credit Suisse has a $35 price target, while the consensus target is $29.96. Intel closed above that Monday at $31.49.

KLA-Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ: KLAC) is a top chip equipment name to buy at Credit Suisse. It is engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related nanoelectronics industries. With a portfolio of industry standard products and a team of world-class engineers and scientists, the company has created superior solutions for its customers for more than 35 years. Investors are paid a 2.6% dividend. The Credit Suisse price target is $72, and the consensus target is $73.89. These may both go up, as the stock closed Monday at $74.90.

Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) is another of the top chip equipment stock to buy now according to Credit Suisse. The company designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes and services semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company offers plasma etch products that remove materials from the wafer to create the features and patterns of a device.

Many Wall Street analysts have highlighted Lam Research and its peers as having a significant equipment opportunity from the NAND evolution. The Credit Suisse price target for the stock is $68. The consensus target is slightly lower at $75.35. Lam Research closed Monday at $71.63 a share.

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Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is a top technology name and has absolutely been on fire for the past year. The company, which is a leader in DRAM chip sales and has already reported, is one of the top Wall Street memory picks. With the bar set very high, the stock again delivered numbers that Wall Street applauded.

With demand for memory chips expected to increase steadily over the next five years, with Micron estimating 20% to 30% yearly increases in DRAM demand, and 30% and 40% increases for NAND, the future looks very bright for this top name to buy. The Credit Suisse price target is a whopping $50, and the consensus target is $38.73. Micron closed Monday at $33.59. Trading to the Credit Suisse target would be just short of a 50% gain.

NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) recently announced that it is now the world’s number one supplier for small-signal discretes. Building on its expertise in high-performance mixed signal electronics, NXP is driving innovation in the automotive, identification and mobile industries, and in application areas including wireless infrastructure, lighting, health care, industrial, consumer tech and computing. The Credit Suisse price target for the stock is $75, and the consensus is at $70.30. NXP closed trading on Monday at $66.35.

SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of flash memory storage drives. The burgeoning demand for SanDisk’s products and the increase in price of its micro SD cards contributed to the rise in margins. Most mobile phone manufacturers now provide a card slot in their devices, leading to increased demand for memory cards. Customers looking to store more data have led to the growth of micro SD cards, pushing up demand in the process.

The SanDisk’s alliance with Apple, which just placed major NAND flash orders with SanDisk, is just increasing the odds the company will continue to among the leaders dominating flash memory storage. Investors are paid a 0.9% dividend. The Credit Suisse price target is $125, while the consensus is lower at $111.43. SanDisk closed Monday at $105.59.

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With four devices expected from Apple and a huge demand for memory and storage, the top chip and chip equipment stocks could be set-up for a gigantic rest of the year and 2015. Aggressive growth investors should review their portfolios to make sure some capital is allocated to this very hot sector.

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