A recent sell-off in the tech sector has left some investors reluctant to enter the growth name as they are swayed by concerns about the next rate hike. According to DA Davidson’s Tom Forte, by following certain guidelines, investors can teach themselves how to play the market and place worthwhile bets on it. The analyst, who has been in the industry since 1996, shared 13 things and principles investors should consider when getting into tech stocks in a note to clients Monday. Those key concepts include social selling, international expansion, payments, and artificial intelligence, which the company uses to score tech companies and decipher their strengths and weaknesses. Here are some of the best stocks that Forte believes are well positioned to capitalize on these ideas. Apple’s stock ranks among the best among the big tech names, down more than 5% this year. Forte expects the iPhone maker to boost sales, thanks to its international expansion and the company’s foray into mobile and payments. Both Apple and Google are also well positioned to use social media – or what Forte calls social selling – to connect with consumers. In addition, both companies dominate nearly 100% of mobile operating systems, he said. Forte wrote: “Apple and Google are operating in their own interests, corresponding to privacy. “As a result, it’s harder for some social media companies to generate revenue from digital advertising.” Many tech stocks benefited in the early days of the pandemic but have tumbled in recent months as interest rate hikes loom and concerns over geopolitics abroad. Higher interest rates are especially hard on technology stocks because they reduce the value of those companies’ future cash flows. Forte believes Amazon, Roku, and Shopify are among the few companies that can continue to post double-digit compound annual growth in sales from fiscal 2021 to 2024, even in this macro environment. Roku stock has fallen about 69% this year as the ad market remains under pressure. Last month, the company’s shares fell 23% in a single day after missing revenue and profit estimates and delivering disappointing guidance. Going forward, Forte believes the company can achieve 14.3% CAGR sales growth in the long term as it benefits from leading video, mobile and international expansion. – CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting