Monday's edition of CNBC's "Halftime Report Final Trades" brought out an interesting mix of stock picks from some of Wall Street's top investment minds, ranging from biotech plays dealing with regulatory hurdles to semiconductor names riding the AI wave.
The Pharma Play with an FDA Twist
Amy Raskin, chief investment officer at Chevy Chase Trust, highlighted Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) as her pick. The timing is notable given recent regulatory developments around the company.
The FDA extended the review period for Ascendis Pharma's New Drug Application for TransCon CNP (navepegritide), a treatment for children with achondroplasia, back on Nov. 25. The regulatory agency determined that information submitted on Nov. 5 regarding post-marketing requirements represented a major amendment to the application. That triggered an automatic three-month extension, pushing the PDUFA target action date to Feb. 28, 2026.
Consumer Optimism and Income Strategies
Shannon Saccocia, chief investment officer of NB Private Wealth, went with the iShares US Consumer Discretionary ETF (IYC), explaining that the consumer discretionary sector is showing more optimism given growth expectations for the coming year.
Meanwhile, Bryn Talkington, managing partner of Requisite Capital Management, chose Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF (GPIQ) as her final trade, likely appealing to investors looking for income generation in the current market environment.
Riding the Semiconductor Wave
Joseph M. Terranova, senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners, picked Monolithic Power Systems Inc (MPWR), a semiconductor equipment name that's been on a tear, gaining more than 60% over the past year.
The company has solid fundamentals backing that rally. When Monolithic Power reported third-quarter results on Oct. 30, it beat expectations across the board. The company posted earnings of $4.73 per share, topping the analyst consensus of $4.64 per share. Revenue came in at $737.176 million, beating the $722.252 million that analysts had projected.
How They Traded
By Monday's close, Ascendis Pharma rose 0.8% to finish at $207.12, while Monolithic Power shares gained 2.1% to close at $983.58. The iShares US Consumer Discretionary ETF slipped 0.9% during the session, and the Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF edged down 0.2%.