Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) has more than 3,500 stores that sell its inventory of toys, durable housewares, candy, seasonal goods, and so on for a $1. Its other stores, operating as Deal$, sell most of its inventory at $5 or less.

This deep-discount retailer is generally considered to be the leader of its class and is rated a "buy" (four stars) by S&P with a target of $59.

The stock executed a major long-term bullish breakout at around $45. Technically this breakout is major and targets the stock at over $65.

The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (NYSE: XHB) bottomed in March and made a direct run to the 200-day moving average by the end of April.

In mid-July, it executed a gold cross, which indicated that its long-term trend was about to change. By early August, it had broken the high of July, establishing an uptrend.

Since then it has been trading within a bull channel, but recently broke the 50-day moving average (blue line) suggesting that XHB will head for the support line and 200-day moving average at around $12.50.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) traded above $50 a share in December 2006, but the international financial crisis drove the sector to extreme lows, and BAC fell to below $3 in March.

With the crisis abated and recent management changes to take effect at the end of this year, BAC has picked up positive research opinions from many analysts.

Technically the stock has made a solid advance along its bullish support line and the 50-day moving average.

Avnet Inc. (NYSE: AVT) is one of the largest distributors of semiconductors and computer-related products in the world.

After falling from more than $40 in 2007, its common stock bottomed in October 2008, well before the bear market low in March. Since then, it has been trading in a bull channel with a top around $29 and low at $23.

The long-term trend of this favored blue chip is up, but recent profit-taking has driven it below $25 and could even result in a test of the support line at $23. S&P rates this stock as a strong buy (five stars) with a price objective of $33. From a technical standpoint, the chart's objective is also $33.

AT&T (NYSE: T) fell from a high of almost $43 to less than $22 in a little over a year. T formed a long-term bottom, finally breaking out at $27 after executing a gold cross (confirmation of a long-term bull market).

But profit-taking in the past two weeks has caused a retrenchment back to support at $26.50.

The stock could pull back more, but its high quality and visibility make this the bluest of blue chip stocks, with a dividend yield of more than 6% and a strong buy recommendation by S&P (five stars).

The U.S. dollar continues to show weakness, and oil will likely continue to be a good hedge against its further deterioration.

Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), which is a large oil and natural gas exploration and production company, should continue to benefit from the dollar's fall.

APA fell from almost $150 in May 2008, to $51 in March. Energy prices improved, and so did this stock as it built a base on a double cup-and-handle formation.

When selecting which stocks to buy, ratings from agencies like Standard & Poor's can be useful in creating a balanced portfolio.

But did you know technical analysis is the most accurate way to predict where a stock -- or the market for that matter -- is going?

Technical analysis is more of an art than a science, but when used correctly it can boost your profits to new heights. I took a look at stocks that S&P has a four- or five-star rating on and analyzed their charts to come up with six great technical trades for you.

No high-priced stock list would be complete without the best known high-priced stock out there -- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway A Shares (NYSE: BRK.A).

At over $100,000 per share, this is, by far, the most-expensive, most well-known stock on our list. With an investment in Berkshire Hathaway, you are putting your money on the success of one of the greatest investment minds the world has ever known.

Sure, a hundred grand is a lot for one share of stock, but if you want to get your money alongside one of the best track records in modern investment history, that's what you have to pay.

Everyone who uses the Internet knows what a powerful tool Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) search engine is. In fact, the ubiquity of Google searches has now put the company's name firmly in our verbal lexicon. Hey, you know you've made it big when your name becomes a verb, as in, "I Googled myself."

Fortunately for shareholders, Google is more than just a catchy verb.

Shares of the search engine firm have delivered an incredible 313% gain over the past five years, and year-to-date the shares are up a very solid 62%. I think that despite the near $500 share price, GOOG shares are still a bargain, and that means they are likely to search out some very nice gains for high-priced stock enthusiasts.

Next: Stock #10

As an observer of financial markets, I've been stunned by the recent growth of options trading. Options and futures trading have become huge among individual investors, and the interest in the topic is only getting bigger.

So, who benefits most from the surge in options and futures trading? CME Group (NASDAQ: CME).

CME Group is the company that operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, the place where options and futures trades actually take place. Whenever you place an options or futures transaction, the only sure winner in the game is CME Group.

I'd venture a guess that you have at least one, if not multiple, MasterCard (NYSE: MA) credit cards in your wallet right now.

In addition to its credit card division, the company provides transaction processing services to its customers that support its credit, deposit access, electronic cash, and automated teller machine payment card programs. The goal of the company is an ambitious one: to put the use of cash out of business.

The stock has certainly been on a tear since its 2006 debut, rising to over $300 per share near the midway point of 2008. Yes, the recession and accompanying customer spending pullback took its toll on MasterCard in late-2008 and early 2009, but despite the tough economic environment, MA shares are up over 50% year to date.

Much like Goldman Sachs, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) is a financial company that's delivered big gains for its shareholders over the past five years. In fact, BLK shares are up 188% over the past five years. More recently, the company's shares are up over 50% in the past six months.

BlackRock is an asset management firm that provides portfolio management services to corporate and public pension plans. It also manages pension funds for insurance companies, mutual funds, endowments, and private foundations. You might say that BlackRock is the money manager of choice if you've got a really big pension fund in need of the best money managers around.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a shining example of capitalism at its best -- and that's just one of the many reasons why Apple is an excellent stock to buy now.

If you're a member of the Apple cult like I am, you already know the near-religious commitment we have to anything Steve Jobs and company bring to market. Sure, the company makes the most expensive computers out there, as well as the costly iPhone -- but to us addicts, money is really no object.

What can you say about this crown jewel of brokerage and investment banks that hasn't already been said?

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is, by far, the most prestigious, as well as the most politically-connected, bank on Wall Street. Its success over both the fat years and the lean years has been difficult to ignore.

So it's no wonder then that shares of this iconic financial giant are up nearly 100% over the past five years, while stocks that comprise the Dow Jones Financial Services index were down 11% over those same five years.

Leading online travel site Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) is perhaps best known for its pitchman, pop culture icon William Shatner. But to in-the-know investors, this stock is more known for booking big profits.

Now you might think that with the country in a recession, online travel stocks wouldn't be doing very well. But actually, the opposite is true.

According to a recent article in Investor's Business Daily, many corporate travel managers have been forced to cut the cost of basic travel expenses due to the recession. "Firms are telling execs to move their seats from the front to the back of the plane -- and to find budget-class hotel rooms." Bingo!