When seasoned investors gather to share their best ideas, it's worth paying attention. Monday's CNBC "Halftime Report Final Trades" offered a diverse menu of opportunities spanning restaurant technology, ride-sharing giants, and sector-specific ETFs.
Joshua Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, put his money behind Toast, Inc. (TOST). The restaurant technology platform has caught Wall Street's eye recently, with JPMorgan analyst Tien-Tsin Huang upgrading the stock from Neutral to Overweight on Dec. 4 while maintaining a $43 price target. That suggests meaningful upside from current levels.
Stephen Weiss, chief investment officer and managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, sees Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER) bouncing back. The timing is interesting given Uber's expanding ambitions beyond traditional ride-sharing. The company recently partnered with Lyft Inc. (LYFT) and Baidu Inc. (BIDU)-backed robotaxi company Apollo Go to bring self-driving taxis to the U.K. It's a notable development that has Uber positioning itself at the intersection of current ride-hailing and future autonomous transportation.
Liz Thomas, SoFi's Head of Investment Strategy, took a sector approach with State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB). Her reasoning is forward-looking: materials is expected to be the second-best performing sector for earnings in 2026. Sometimes the patient trade pays off.
Finally, Joe Terranova, senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners, named State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) as his pick, tapping into the biotech sector's potential upside.
How The Stocks Performed
Monday was kind to these picks. Toast shares climbed 2.9% to close at $37.28, while Uber gained 2.5% to settle at $81.26. The materials ETF added 1.2%, and the biotech ETF jumped 2.4% during the session. Not a bad day for final trades.
