CNBC's "Halftime Report Final Trades" segment offered a diverse set of picks on Friday, spanning energy services, airlines, precious metals, and inflation hedges. The interesting part? All four recommendations finished the day in positive territory.
Kevin Simpson, founder of Capital Wealth Planning, made the case for SLB N.V. (SLB), calling it best-in-class with robust international exposure and a technology edge that's pushing margins higher. The timing looks decent, too. Susquehanna analyst Bascome Majors maintained a positive rating on SLB on January 7 and bumped the price target from $42 to $52, which suggests some conviction behind the upward trajectory.
Jim Lebenthal, partner at Cerity Partners, turned his attention to Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL), which reports quarterly earnings Tuesday morning. He's expecting "pretty good" guidance from the airline despite shutdown effects weighing on fourth-quarter results. Backing that optimism, Susquehanna analyst Christopher Stathoulopoulos maintained a positive rating on Friday and raised his price target from $70 to $85.
Bryn Talkington, managing partner of Requisite Capital Management, highlighted Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF (INFL) for its eclectic mix of energy, financials, real assets, and materials. It's a diversified play for those worried about inflation sticking around longer than expected.
Meanwhile, Stephen Weiss, chief investment officer and managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, said he's buying SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), the straightforward gold play that tends to attract attention when market uncertainty picks up.
Price Action:
- SLB shares gained 3.2% to close at $45.20 on Friday.
- Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF gained 2.6% during the session.
- Delta Air Lines shares rose 0.7% to close at $72.31 on Friday.
- SPDR Gold Shares rose 1.4% during the session.
