TECH STOCKS: Apple, Applied Materials Rise; Twitter, Facebook Fall

By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Technology stocks were mostly lower Monday, as shares of Twitter Inc. and Facebook slipped, while rising shares of Applied Materials and Apple Inc. helped the sector.

Applied (AMAT) was up 0.7% to close at $22.96 as D.A. Davidson & Co. offered an upbeat view of the semiconductor capital equipment sector. D.A. Davidson analyst Thomas Diffely pointed to signs of improved demand among segments of the semiconductor industry for chip-making equipment.

Shares of Apple (AAPL) were ahead by 2.1% to close at $95.97. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White said data from Apple's suppliers point to strong sales in June ahead of the much-awaited rollout of the iPhone 6 and the iWatch, Apple's smartwatch, which analysts believe will be unveiled in the coming months. (Related: Apple gets back-handed praise over the iPhone...and iWatch possibility)

But the tech sector was weighed down by declining shares of Intel Corp. (INTC), which was off 0.4%. Twitter Inc. (TWTR) slipped 2.7%, while Amazon.com (AMZN) gave up 1.2% and Facebook (FB) shed 1.5%.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) was down 0.8% to close at 4,451. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) were each down a fraction of a percentage point.

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