Jim Lebenthal's Portfolio Picks For 2015

Jim Lebenthal revealed on CNBC's Fast Money Halftime Report stocks which he decided to include in his portfolio for CNBC's trading contest. He decided to pick International Business Machines Corp. IBM, J C Penney Company Inc JCP, General Motors Company GM, Marathon Petroleum Corp MPC and Trimble Navigation Limited TRMB. Lebenthal believes that these companies are in a good position to grow and because of their recent decline the entry price is great. He explained that International Business Machines Corp. is going to earn around 16 dollars per share and it is trading below 10 times its earnings estimates. He thinks that the company is going to report a good guidance in February which should boost the stock. Every trader is speculating about an opportunity in the energy space in 2015, said Lebenthal, but he would only own refiners in the space and Marathon Petroleum Corp is his pick. This is a bet on a growing U.S. economy and not on the recovery in crude oil. Lebenthal expects to see a recovery for General Motors Company because last year earnings were held back by recalls. He thinks that it is going to positively surprise many people on the Wall Street with the earnings report.