On CNBC’s ‘Halftime Report Final Trades,’ several financial experts weighed in on their final stock picks for the week.
Rob Sechan of NewEdge Wealth expressed his confidence in Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) exceeding market expectations when they release their quarterly earnings next week. Analysts predict Salesforce will report earnings of $2.36 per share on Wednesday, August 28th, a significant increase from the $2.12 per share reported in the same period last year. The company also projects quarterly revenue of $9.23 billion.
Joshua Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management declared his continued long position on Nasdaq, Inc. (NDAQ). Deutsche Bank analyst Brian Bedell recently maintained a Hold rating on Nasdaq and raised the price target from $66 to $72.
Karen Firestone of Aureus Asset Management named UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) as her final trade. In their recent second-quarter earnings report on July 16th, UnitedHealth surpassed expectations. The company reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $6.80, a rise from $6.14 a year ago and exceeding the consensus estimate of $6.66. UnitedHealth’s revenues also climbed to $98.86 billion, a nearly $6 billion increase (6.4% year-over-year) and surpassing the consensus forecast of $98.34 billion. This growth was largely driven by expansion in the number of people served domestically through Optum and UnitedHealthcare.
Stephanie Link selected The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX), which is scheduled to release its earnings on Wednesday. TJX is set to unveil its second-quarter earnings results before the market opens on Wednesday, August 21st. Analysts anticipate earnings of 92 cents per share, an increase from 85 cents per share in the same period last year. TJX projects quarterly revenue of $13.31 billion for the quarter.
Price Action
* Nasdaq shares rose 0.2% to close at $70.09 on Tuesday.
* Salesforce shares fell 1.3% to settle at $261.84 during Tuesday’s session.
* UnitedHealth shares climbed 0.3% to close at $580.65 during Tuesday’s session.
* TJX shares gained 0.7% to settle at $113.31 on Tuesday.
