Halftime Report Stocks Rally on CPI Print 12/18/25
Dec 18, 2025
Join Josh Brown, a savvy investment advisor, Stephanie Link, a sharp portfolio manager, and Bill Baruch, a market strategist, as they dive into the recent stock rally sparked by cooler CPI numbers. They discuss trade opportunities in the energy sector and the risks surrounding AI investments. Josh presents Nasdaq, Inc. as a top pick, while Stephanie defends Meta's growth potential against market skepticism. The trio also analyzes Micron's earnings and shares their thoughts on upcoming retail picks like Gap and Chipotle.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Trade Is Dispersed, Not A Bubble
- AI trade shows big dispersion across names rather than bubble-like uniform rises.
- Company-specific fundamentals explain diverging performances and create buying opportunities.
Buy Quality AI Pullbacks
- Buy selective AI names showing durable fundamentals and use pullbacks as entry points.
- Favor names with strong cash generation and avoid those with weak free cash flow or stressed balance sheets.
Backlogs Drive Industrial Visibility
- Industrial companies have large visible backlogs that translate into revenue visibility.
- Backlogs and book-to-bill ratios matter more than new orders for revenue reliability.