Investors are betting these stocks will reap considerable returns in 2026

CNBC contributors shared some of their 2026 stock picks, including Adobe, Citigroup and TSMC, with CNBC’s “Halftime Report” on Wednesday.

20 stocks in the S&P 500 of companies with soaring sales and improving profit margins May 14, 2026
This earnings season’s big winners include makers of AI-oriented hardware, but the list also includes some surprises.
Philip van Doorn
Cisco to cut jobs so it can invest more in AI, and the stock rockets toward a record May 14, 2026
Cisco’s stock soars into record territory, after the networking giant announced plans to invest more in AI and upbeat earnings report.
William Gavin
Cerebras’s massive IPO will be a fresh test of investor excitement for AI infrastructure May 13, 2026
Late Wednesday, the company priced its IPO at $185 a share, far above the top of its previously announced range of $150-$160.
Britney Nguyen
Inflation will likely be higher for longer. Your retirement plan isn’t built for that. May 13, 2026
Official CPI masks double-digit spikes in healthcare, insurance and energy. Meanwhile, an outdated strategy quietly drains your portfolio.
Kurt Supe
The Iran war could be a $300 billion shock — driving up mortgage rates and squeezing wages May 13, 2026
The Trump administration and Congress can act now to bring down energy costs and make Americans’ lives more affordable.
Dominik Lett
Retailers keep tinkering with their AI shopping assistants, in search of better service May 13, 2026
Amazon will combine its Rufus AI shopping assistant with its Alexa+ platform, just two weeks after CEO Andy Jassy sang Rufus’s praises.
Bill Peters
‘I have zero envy’: I’m 75, enjoy working and live below my means. Why are more people not like me? May 13, 2026
“I did two basic things right: I married the right person and chose a trade I can practice until I die.”
Quentin Fottrell
‘He is retired’: Should my husband take his Social Security at 62 and invest it? May 13, 2026
“His Social Security benefit would be $1,600 per month, since he stayed home with the kids while I worked.”
Quentin Fottrell
When couples have a PTO gap, it can take a big toll on their relationship May 13, 2026
“Gap relationships,” where there is a discrepancy between how two people operate their lives, have become a topic of interest — and ire.
Aditi Shrikant
The world lost nearly 1 billion barrels in oil supply over the past 75 days. Why investors aren’t worrying enough. May 13, 2026
Global oil prices have climbed by nearly 50% since the the end of February, but the rise pales in comparison to an estimated loss of nearly 1 billion barrels since the start of the Iran war 75 days ago.
Myra P. Saefong