Stocks ended the last trading day of 2025 lower, but some stocks could emerge stronger in the new year, investors said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Halftime Report.” “I admit it’s a bad feeling, but no matter what January brings to the market, we’re likely to have a good year,” Jim Leventhal, chief equity strategist at Cerity Partners, told CNBC. Stocks ended the year with four consecutive sessions of declines, with the S&P 500 index ending 0.7% lower on Wednesday. However, the broad market index continued to rise 16.4% in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit gains. Mr. Leventhal expects stock prices to continue rising, and listed several stocks in which he has a bullish view. Steven Weiss, managing partner of Short Hills Capital, and Joe Terranova, senior managing director of Virtus Investment Partners, also revealed names suitable for the new year in the Halftime Report. Here are some of the stocks that have the potential for strong performance in 2026, according to these investors. Apple Apple is poised to do better in 2026 as the iPhone maker leans into artificial intelligence, an area that has so far dominated most investors and customers. “We’re going to learn more and more about how they ultimately benefit and participate in Apple’s intelligence and the overall artificial intelligence story,” Terranova said, adding that Apple could partner with companies like Alphabet to accelerate its AI efforts in 2026. “I think ’26 is well-positioned for them and for us to get what we’ve been looking for the last few years. That’s absolutely clear,” he said. Terranova noted that demand for iPhones in China is also expected to increase in 2026 as the company continues its recent efforts to regain market share in the region. Apple stock rose 8.5% in 2025. Citigroup Citigroup has posted strong profits this year, but its stock still trades at a discount, making it attractive to investors like Leventhal. “It remains by far the cheapest stock among its peers,” he said. Investors acknowledged that Citi’s profitability is lower than many of its peers. But banks’ profits have increased over the past three-and-a-half years, a trend that is likely to continue into 2026, Leventhal said. Citi stock rose about 66% in 2025, Terranova said. EQT EQT may have room for management in 2026. Terranova said the natural gas company has demonstrated resilience stemming from its ability to generate very strong cash flows. Additionally, the investor said EQT’s presence in Appalachia allows it to benefit from the artificial intelligence data center boom. “They have what I would call major geographic exposure, particularly in areas where we see strong data center demand, such as Virginia,” Terranova said. “Ultimately, natural gas will be the power generation solution to meet data center demands.” EQT is up 16% since the beginning of the year. Adobe Lebenthal said Adobe underperformed in 2025 but is on the right track to recover in the new year. “I think stocks are starting to react,” he said. “The fact that it wasn’t wiped out by a tax loss harvest in December is proof of that.” The company posted better-than-expected sales and bottom line profits in the fourth quarter, according to FactSet. Adobe also expected first-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.85 to $5.90 per share and revenue of $6.25 billion to $6.3 billion, beating consensus estimates. The stock price fell 21% in 2025, but rose 9% in December. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Weiss said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has room to continue operating until 2026. He noted that the company is “agnostic” when it comes to collaborating with major technology companies on chips for advanced artificial intelligence applications. “It could be a Metachip. It could be an Amazon chip. It could be an Nvidia chip. It’s manufactured by Taiwan Semi,” Weiss said. The investor added that the company’s cash flow is growing and its design business is performing well. “I don’t have to worry about competition,” Weiss said, noting it’s the biggest position for him. TSMC stock rose nearly 54% in 2025.
