Biotechnology stocks stole much of what thunder remained in a1990 stock market that was overshadowed in the year's second half by war clouds and recession chills.

The biotechnology sector's relative success was mirrored in the Fidelity Select Fund in biotechnology, which was ranked the top-performing major stock mutual fund for the year, by the Lipper Analytical Service. It gained 43 percent in value, while health and biotechnology mutual funds overall rose 18 percent during 1990. The rise showed how tough a year it was. In1989, they turned in an overall gain of nearly 44 percent.

The 1990 rocket in biotechnology was Amgen Inc., which closed at $62.25 a share, up 154 percent from a 1989 close of$24.50 (factored for a 2-for-1 stock split). Market value of Amgen stock topped $2.5 billion by year's end.

The market's second-half swoon took a large toll on the small-capitalization stocks, which dropped 13 percent between August and early December, said R. Brandon Fradd of Montgomery Securities. Market conditions alone could not explain the sector's biggest loser, Invitron Corp. Its stock tumbled to less than 13 cents a share by year's end as the company ran short of customers for its mammalian cell culture services. Invitron agreed last month to sell its St. Louis operations to Centocor Corp. H Ray Potter

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