When market veterans share their top picks on national television, people tend to listen. During CNBC's Halftime Report Final Trades segment, three money managers laid out their current favorites, and the list ranges from payment processing giants to income-focused ETFs.
Kevin Simpson, founder and CIO of Capital Wealth Planning, went with Visa Inc. (V), pointing to the company's record free cash flow and clean balance sheet. It's the kind of fundamental strength that makes investors sleep better at night, especially in uncertain market conditions.
The timing is interesting. Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM) recently partnered with Visa on Dec. 17 to enhance identity verification, user recognition, and security for agentic commerce. The collaboration integrates Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol with Akamai's edge-based behavioral intelligence and bot protection, adding another layer to Visa's technological infrastructure.
Bryn Talkington, managing partner of Requisite Capital Management, took a different approach with her pick: Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF (GPIQ). The ETF offers a 10.5% distribution yield, making it attractive for investors hunting for income in today's market. These covered call strategies have become increasingly popular as investors look for ways to generate yield from their equity exposure.
Jim Lebenthal, partner at Cerity Partners, named CRH plc (CRH), highlighting the company's recent addition to the S&P 500. Getting added to the index is no small feat and typically brings a wave of institutional buying from funds that track the benchmark.
Morgan Stanley analyst Cedar Ekblom seems to agree with the bullish sentiment. On Dec. 10, Ekblom maintained CRH with an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $131 to $140.
Price Action:
- Visa shares slipped 0.04% to close at $355.00 on Friday.
- Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF slipped 0.02% during the session.
- CRH climbed 1.1% to close at $128.94 during the session.