UnitedHealth, Ardagh Metal Packaging, Nvidia, and Invesco ETF Feature in CNBC's 'Halftime Report Final Trades'

2 min read | Published on 23 Jul 2026, 07:59 PM |Updated on 23 Jul 2026, 07:59 PM

Reviewed by

ScanX News Team

Key Highlights

CNBC's 'Halftime Report Final Trades' featured UnitedHealth Group, Ardagh Metal Packaging, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF, and Nvidia as top picks from four market strategists. UnitedHealth reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $6.38 against an estimate of $4.86, with revenue of $112.03 billion exceeding expectations. Ardagh Metal Packaging was noted for its 8.5% yield, supported by a Wells Fargo price target raise from $4 to $5. Nvidia gained 2.3% to close at $212.06 amid news of an expanded NVIDIA Agent Toolkit featuring new Omniverse libraries.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.

CNBC's 'Halftime Report Final Trades' segment featured four market strategists presenting their top investment picks, covering a range of sectors including healthcare, packaging, technology, and broad market exposure. The recommendations were accompanied by recent corporate developments and analyst actions that lent context to each selection.

UnitedHealth Group: Earnings Beat Drives Recommendation

Stephen Weiss of Short Hills Capital Partners named UnitedHealth Group Incorporated as his final trade. His pick was supported by the company's second-quarter results reported on July 16, which surpassed analyst expectations across key metrics and prompted an upward revision to full-year 2026 earnings guidance.

The following table summarises UnitedHealth Group's second-quarter financial performance:

Metric:	Reported	Estimate
Adjusted EPS:	$6.38	$4.86
Revenue:	$112.03 billion	$110.83 billion
Revenue (Prior Year):	$111.62 billion	—

Adjusted earnings per share of $6.38 significantly exceeded the analyst consensus estimate of $4.86. Revenue rose to $112.03 billion from $111.62 billion a year earlier, also surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $110.83 billion.

Ardagh Metal Packaging: High Yield and Analyst Support

Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington, chief executive officer of Gilman Hill Asset Management, LLC, highlighted Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A., citing its 8.5% yield as a key attraction. The recommendation was further supported by a recent analyst action: Wells Fargo analyst Gabe Hajde, on July 15, maintained an Equal-Weight rating on the stock while raising the price target from $4 to $5.

Invesco ETF and Nvidia Round Out the Picks

Liz Young Thomas, SoFi head of investment strategy, selected the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF as her final trade, offering broad market exposure with an equal-weighted approach to S&P 500 constituents.

Joseph M. Terranova, senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners, recommended NVIDIA Corporation. The pick coincided with news of Nvidia expanding its NVIDIA Agent Toolkit by adding Omniverse libraries designed to help AI agents prepare 3D content for physical AI simulations. Announced at SIGGRAPH, the update introduces tools for RTX sensor simulation, GPU-accelerated physics, and simulation-ready asset validation, with the libraries made available on GitHub.

Price Action

The following table captures the price movements of the featured securities:

Security:	Price Change	Closing Price
Ardagh Metal Packaging:	+0.4%	$4.71
UnitedHealth Group:	-1.2%	$431.31
Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF:	-0.03%	—
Nvidia:	+2.3%	$212.06

Nvidia led the group with a gain of 2.3% to close at $212.06, while Ardagh Metal Packaging edged up 0.4% to $4.71. UnitedHealth Group declined 1.2% to settle at $431.31, and the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF slipped 0.03% during the session.

How might UnitedHealth Group's upward revision to 2026 earnings guidance influence broader healthcare sector valuations amidst ongoing regulatory scrutiny?

What are the long-term sustainability risks for Ardagh Metal Packaging given its high 8.5% yield and the modest price target increase from Wells Fargo?

Could Nvidia's expansion into physical AI simulations via the Omniverse libraries accelerate enterprise adoption of its hardware beyond traditional data centers?