CNBC's Ultimate Stock Picks: Marriott, American Express, CrowdStrike, and More

On CNBC's "Halftime Report Ultimate Stock Picks," Brian Belski, founder, CEO, and chief investment officer of Humilis Investment Strategies, recommended Marriott International.

On the earnings front, Marriott International reported mixed second-quarter results on Aug. 3 and raised its fiscal 2026 earnings forecast.

Jason Snipe, founder and chief investment officer of Odyssey Capital Advisors, named American Express as his ultimate stock pick.

Supporting his pick, Piper Sandler analyst Bill Carcache on Aug. 12 maintained an overweight rating on American Express and raised his price target to $405 from $396.

Malcolm Ethridge, managing partner of Capital Area Planning Group, chose the Global X Cybersecurity ETF.

Joshua Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, picked CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. after its quarterly earnings report.

After Wednesday's close, CrowdStrike raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance following strong second-quarter results.

CrowdStrike reported second-quarter revenue of $1.47 billion, beating the expected $1.44 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of 31 cents, above the 29-cent estimate. Revenue grew 26% year over year, including a 27% rise in subscription revenue to $1.4 billion.

Price action:

Marriott shares fell 1.3% on Thursday, closing at $353.87.

American Express shares slipped 0.6% during the trading session, closing at $334.16.

The Global X Cybersecurity ETF rose 10.4% on Thursday.

CrowdStrike shares gained 20.5% during the session, closing at $227.96.