'Fast Money' traders share their 'New Year resolution' stock picks

Key Concepts

• Shameful Holdings (formerly Comcast’s media businesses): A spin-off from Comcast, encompassing CNBC, NBCUniversal’s broadcast assets, and other media properties.
• Fade the Brokers/Favor the Banks: A trading strategy suggesting a decline in the performance of investment banks and brokers relative to larger, more stable commercial banks.
• Consumer Internet “AI Moment”: The potential for consumer-facing internet companies to experience renewed growth driven by Artificial Intelligence applications.
• XLE (Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund): An ETF tracking the energy sector, currently exhibiting a sideways trading pattern.

Shameful Holdings (Spin-off from Comcast)

Karen Finerman identifies Shameful Holdings, the soon-to-be independent entity spun off from Comcast, as a potential investment opportunity for 2026. She highlights that despite technically still being part of Comcast, ownership will be distributed to Comcast shareholders, representing approximately 5-6% of their existing holdings. Finerman anticipates potential selling pressure from investors who prefer to retain only Comcast’s core business, creating a buying opportunity. She emphasizes the strength of the underlying businesses within Shameful Holdings, including CNBC, NBCUniversal’s broadcast assets, Golf, and even the WNBA, alongside a solid balance sheet. Finerman notes the demonstrated interest in media assets, even those previously considered underperforming, suggesting a potential for revival. She frames it as a “quiet one” poised for a “nice 2026 party,” implying understated potential for growth.

Investment Banks vs. Commercial Banks

Nathan Carter Worth presents a contrarian view, advocating for a trade that “fades” the recent strong performance of investment banks and brokers, and instead favors larger, more stable commercial banks. He points to the exceptional performance of firms like Morgan Stanley (up 40%), Goldman Sachs (up even more), IBKR, and Robinhood (up 200%) in the preceding year. Worth argues that this performance is unusually high relative to the broader banking sector (“the book”), creating a wide spread. He believes this outperformance is unlikely to continue, driven by the volatility and trading activity of the past year. He recommends favoring established banks like JP Morgan, US Bancorp, and PNC, which offer greater stability. This strategy positions investment banks and brokers against banks in general, anticipating a relative decline in the former.

Consumer Internet & the AI Catalyst

The discussion then shifts to the consumer internet sector, which is described as having been “left for dead” throughout the year. The speaker believes these companies are poised for a resurgence in 2026, potentially fueled by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Specific companies mentioned as potential beneficiaries include Spotify, Netflix, Uber, Snap, and Pinterest. The expectation is that these companies will experience an “AI moment,” leading to renewed growth and investor interest.

XLE – Sideways Trading Pattern

The final point briefly mentions the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE), noting it has been trading sideways since the fall of 2022. This observation sets the stage for further analysis, potentially suggesting a breakout or continued consolidation is imminent, though the transcript cuts off before further elaboration.

The overall theme is identifying undervalued or overlooked opportunities for the coming year, ranging from a spin-off with potential selling pressure to a contrarian bet on the banking sector and a potential AI-driven revival of consumer internet companies. The discussion highlights the importance of identifying market inefficiencies and anticipating shifts in investor sentiment.