The telecommunications, automotive, computing and Manufacturing sectors are being transformed with new digital technologies. During the third quarter of 2021, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported semiconductor shipments reached an all-time high with global sales totaling $144.8 billion, an increase of 27.6% from the third quarter of 2020. Here are the six top-performing chip stocks of 2021: 

• 1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) currently trading at $258.75, boasting 89.95% gains from Jan. 10, 2021.
• 2. Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) trading at $64.64, is up an astounding 110.07% from Jan. 10, 2021.
• 3. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) is trading at $125.34 showing 29.07% growth from Jan. 10, 2021.
• 4. Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is at $143.42, an increase of 46.39% from Jan. 10, 2021.
• 5. ASML Holding N.V (NASDAQ:ASML) trading at $703.40, up 38.64% from Jan. 10, 2021. 
• 6. NXP Semiconductors N.V (NASDAQ:NXPI) currently trading at $215.87, up 24.63% from Jan. 10, 2021.

• Let’s take a look at some catalysts that could deliver the above-mentioned stocks great performance in 2022:
• 1. Nvidia’s quarterly earnings report is due in February, along with the launch of a new Data Center and Gaming Products at the flagship GPU Technology Conference in March.
• 2. Axcelis announced multiple shipments of Purion H200 SiC power series implanters, and closure of the Purion XE SiC evaluation tool. This is a key step in the production cycle for advanced and mature-node chips.
• 3. AMD announced new software targeted toward Gamers at CES 2022 titled "AMD Software: Adrenaline edition."
• 4. Applied Materials recently announced a quarterly cash dividend of 24 cents per share. The company also announced a new phase of research collaboration with the Institute of Microelectronics (IME). Under the new phase of their R&D engagement, Applied Materials and IME aim to accelerate the AI era of computing by driving breakthroughs in heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging for semiconductor innovation.
• 5. ASML has an upcoming event on Jan. 19, highlighting fourth-quarter and 2021 results, as well as the company's initial views on 2022.
• 6. NXP ramped up their flagship 4D imaging radar chip to production, adding new products tailored for the fast-growing L2+ market. The company also announced a Jan. 31 conference call to review fourth-quarter and full year 2021 financial results.