When it comes to a down market like the one we've been seeing since mid-August, investors like you have to hone their stock-selection skills.

Here's why.

During the third quarter, most stocks sold off, including many tech leaders. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA), S&P 500 (SPY), and Nasdaq Composite (QQQ) have all spilled more than 8%.

On the other hand, like I showed you back in late August, the U.S. economy itself is in good shape. And the new numbers rolling in still show a growing economy as employers hire more workers and consumers load up on homes and cars.

In other words, this downturn has little to do with the U.S. economy. And that means there are plenty of companies – and stocks – that are bucking the market trend.

You just have to know how to peer through the “noise” and pick them.

And today, I'm going to show you five tech stocks that sailed peacefully through the third-quarter sell-off.

How They Did It

I'm well aware that Wall Street is worried about the U.S. federal reserve's intent to raise interest rates by the end of the year – and you bet I know that China's growth has cooled.

But there are still loads of reasons to be optimistic about the U.S. economy – and about your ability to pick good investments.

Let's start with the macro view.

The U.S. Department of Commerce says the economy entered the third quarter on a strong note. Last week, the agency revised its GDP estimates upward to show seasonally adjusted growth of 3.9%.

The revised forecast comes as we continue to see strength in two of the economy's more important sectors – housing and autos.

Commerce Department officials say sales of new single-family homes ran at an annual pace of 552,000 in August. That's the strongest showing in 7.5 years and represented a 22% annual gain.