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Top Stock Picks From CNBC's Final Trades: Walmart, Leidos, Zoom and Vistra

MarketDash Editorial Team
14 days ago
Four market pros shared their top picks on CNBC, spotlighting Walmart's strong earnings, a utility stock pullback opportunity, a defense contractor on the rise, and Zoom ahead of its Monday report.

CNBC's "Halftime Report Final Trades" brought out some interesting picks from market veterans, covering everything from retail giants to defense contractors.

Walmart Gets the Nod After Strong Quarter

Kevin Simpson, CEO of Capital Wealth Planning, chose Walmart Inc. (WMT) based on its impressive recent earnings report. The company's e-commerce segment continues to expand while its membership model gains traction, Simpson noted. Management also issued robust forward guidance, giving investors confidence in the company's trajectory.

Walmart reported better-than-expected third-quarter results on Nov. 20 and raised its fiscal year 2026 revenue and adjusted EPS outlook. The retail behemoth is also making a notable move by transferring its listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq, effective Dec. 9.

A Utility Play on the Pullback

Rob Sechan, CEO of NewEdge Wealth, picked Vistra Corp. (VST), pointing to the utility stock's 25% pullback over recent months as a potential buying opportunity.

The pick gets support from Wall Street analysts who remain bullish. On Nov. 7, BMO Capital analyst James Thalacker maintained Vistra with an Outperform rating and bumped the price target from $236 to $245. Evercore ISI Group analyst Durgesh Chopra also kept his Outperform rating while lifting the price target from $237 to $243.

Defense Contractor Shows Momentum

Stephen Weiss, chief investment officer and managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, named Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) as his final trade.

The defense contractor has momentum on its side after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results on Nov. 4 and raising full-year EPS guidance. Leidos posted quarterly revenue growth of 7% year over year to $4.47 billion, sailing past the analyst consensus estimate of $4.28 billion.

Zoom Ahead of Earnings

Joshua Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, highlighted Zoom Communications Inc. (ZM), which is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Monday.

Analysts expect the video communications company to report quarterly earnings of $1.44 per share, up from $1.38 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Zoom's quarterly revenue stands at $1.21 billion, compared to $1.18 billion a year earlier.

Price Action

  • Vistra shares fell 3% to close at $168.59 on Friday.
  • Leidos rose 0.5% to close at $186.49 during the session.
  • Walmart shares fell 1.7% to settle at $105.32 on Friday.
  • Zoom shares gained 0.3% to close at $78.63.
Back to News

Top Stock Picks From CNBC's Final Trades: Walmart, Leidos, Zoom and Vistra

MarketDash Editorial Team
14 days ago
Four market pros shared their top picks on CNBC, spotlighting Walmart's strong earnings, a utility stock pullback opportunity, a defense contractor on the rise, and Zoom ahead of its Monday report.

CNBC's "Halftime Report Final Trades" brought out some interesting picks from market veterans, covering everything from retail giants to defense contractors.

Walmart Gets the Nod After Strong Quarter

Kevin Simpson, CEO of Capital Wealth Planning, chose Walmart Inc. (WMT) based on its impressive recent earnings report. The company's e-commerce segment continues to expand while its membership model gains traction, Simpson noted. Management also issued robust forward guidance, giving investors confidence in the company's trajectory.

Walmart reported better-than-expected third-quarter results on Nov. 20 and raised its fiscal year 2026 revenue and adjusted EPS outlook. The retail behemoth is also making a notable move by transferring its listing from the NYSE to Nasdaq, effective Dec. 9.

A Utility Play on the Pullback

Rob Sechan, CEO of NewEdge Wealth, picked Vistra Corp. (VST), pointing to the utility stock's 25% pullback over recent months as a potential buying opportunity.

The pick gets support from Wall Street analysts who remain bullish. On Nov. 7, BMO Capital analyst James Thalacker maintained Vistra with an Outperform rating and bumped the price target from $236 to $245. Evercore ISI Group analyst Durgesh Chopra also kept his Outperform rating while lifting the price target from $237 to $243.

Defense Contractor Shows Momentum

Stephen Weiss, chief investment officer and managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, named Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) as his final trade.

The defense contractor has momentum on its side after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter results on Nov. 4 and raising full-year EPS guidance. Leidos posted quarterly revenue growth of 7% year over year to $4.47 billion, sailing past the analyst consensus estimate of $4.28 billion.

Zoom Ahead of Earnings

Joshua Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, highlighted Zoom Communications Inc. (ZM), which is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Monday.

Analysts expect the video communications company to report quarterly earnings of $1.44 per share, up from $1.38 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for Zoom's quarterly revenue stands at $1.21 billion, compared to $1.18 billion a year earlier.

Price Action

  • Vistra shares fell 3% to close at $168.59 on Friday.
  • Leidos rose 0.5% to close at $186.49 during the session.
  • Walmart shares fell 1.7% to settle at $105.32 on Friday.
  • Zoom shares gained 0.3% to close at $78.63.