Rocket Stocks for the Week

By Jonas Elmerraji

BALTIMORE (TheStreet) -- Last week, the markets ended lower for the first time in quite some time. The S&P closed the week down 0.63%, while the Dow pared off 0.53%. But once again, we were able to eclipse the market with the performance of our Rocket Stocks, our weekly list of beaten-down stocks that have both short-term catalysts for growth and long-term investment potential.

This week, after a month-long rally that's pushed the S&P 500 up 15.2%, the market looks like it's losing momentum -- and all eyes are turning to stocks. New economic data is going to be the biggest catalyst for positive price movements this week, and the stocks best-positioned to profit are the biggest companies out there. That's why this week, some big names have made our list of Rocket Stocks.

Still, with major indexes down more than 2% early in Monday's trading session, it's best to wait for a dip to complete before buying up any of these plays. The best time to pull the trigger will likely be midweek.

That said, let's take a look at how last week's plays fared.

Topping the list was Priceline.com(PCLN Quote). Last Monday, the discount travel site announced earnings that crushed analyst expectations, sending the stock on a 13.28% tear for the week.

While Priceline.com was the only double-digit gainer on our list last week, other tech stocks also managed to beat the market's downward pull. Hewlett-Packard(HPQ Quote), Google(GOOG Quote), and Microsoft (MSFT Quote) each managed to book modest gains for the week -- 1.26%, 0.63% and 0.59%, respectively -- bolstered by strong investor sentiment in the tech sector.