U.S. New Frigate Boosts HII, 2026 Top Picks & Metals Rally

Group 1: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) - Huntington Ingalls Industries continues to perform well, with stock up more than 80% year to date, driven by increased defense spending and the selection to design and build a new class of frigates for the Navy [2][4] - The new frigate is a medium-sized Navy warship aimed at protecting larger ships and patrolling key waterways, aligning with the broader push to expand US naval power [3][5] - The company has invested approximately $1 billion in shipyard upgrades to support next-generation platforms, benefiting from long-cycle defense contracts and geopolitical tensions [3][4] Group 2: Reddit - Reddit has been identified as a top pick for 2026 by NEM, with a buy rating and a price target of $300, reflecting strong performance with over 40% increase year to date [7][10] - The platform's human-created content is seen as a differentiator, providing trust and authenticity in a landscape crowded with bots and synthetic content [8][10] - Reddit is generating over $100 million annually in licensing fees from AI partnerships, with potential to double this revenue as it expands relationships with AI companies [9][10] Group 3: Metals Industry - Gold has experienced a record run, with 50 records set this year, while silver is also crossing key levels, indicating strong momentum in the metals market [11][12] - Freeport-McMoRan's stock is up more than 30% year to date, supported by Wells Fargo's increased price target from $47 to $55, citing favorable supply-demand dynamics for copper [12][13] - Alcoa's price target has been raised sharply from $40 to $58, with the company also performing well, up more than 40% this year, as structural supply tightness in metals is expected to last into 2026 [13][15]