The chip business may be cyclical, but times sure are good now. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the global chip industry delivered record sales of $335.8 billion in 2014, up 9.9% from 2013. In December alone, global sales totaled $29.1 billion, marking the strongest December on record. Headed into Friday, IBD’s Electronics-Semiconductor Fabless group was perched high in IBD’s 197 Group Rankings at No. 18.