CNBC Halftime Report Final Trades: Chevron, Fiserv, UnitedHealth Group
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 20 2025
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Source: Benzinga
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Analyst Views on CVX
Wall Street analysts forecast CVX stock price to fall
19 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 184.710
Low
158.00
Averages
176.95
High
206.00
Current: 184.710
Low
158.00
Averages
176.95
High
206.00
About CVX
Chevron Corporation is an integrated energy company. The Company produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and additives; and develops technologies that enhance its business and industry. The Company’s segments include Upstream and Downstream. Upstream operations consist primarily of exploring for, developing, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas; liquefaction, transportation and regasification associated with LNG; transporting crude oil by major international oil export pipelines; processing, transporting, storage and marketing of natural gas; carbon capture and storage; and a gas-to-liquids plant. Downstream operations consist primarily of the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing crude oil, refined products, and lubricants; manufacturing and marketing of renewable fuels, and transporting of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Shareholder Vote Outcome: At Wednesday's annual meeting, Chevron shareholders rejected a proposal to separate the roles of independent chair and CEO, indicating a conservative stance on corporate governance that may impact future decision-making transparency.
- Company's Opposition Rationale: Chevron opposed the proposal, asserting the need for flexibility in choosing its board structure, a position that may reflect confidence in its current governance model but could raise concerns among external investors.
- Advisory Firm's Recommendation: Proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis recommended shareholders approve the proposal, arguing that an independent chair enhances board proactivity and effectiveness; the failure of this proposal may lead to decreased governance transparency for the company.
- Board Election Results: Chevron shareholders unanimously approved the election of all 12 nominees to its board, demonstrating strong support for the current board members, which may help maintain stability in corporate governance.
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- Strong Shareholder Support: At the Annual Meeting, approximately 97% of votes supported the election of 12 board nominees, demonstrating high shareholder confidence in governance, which enhances the stability and execution of future company decisions.
- Auditor Appointment Approved: About 96% of votes favored the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers as the independent auditor for 2026, ensuring financial transparency and boosting investor confidence, which is crucial for the company's performance in capital markets.
- Executive Compensation Plan Approved: Approximately 97% of votes supported the executive compensation plan, reflecting shareholder trust in management and further solidifying the incentive mechanisms that help drive the achievement of long-term strategic goals.
- High Shareholder Voting Participation: Over 1.6 billion shares were represented at the meeting, accounting for about 85% of Chevron's outstanding common stock, indicating strong shareholder engagement and interest in company affairs, which enhances interaction between the company and its investors.
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- Oil Price Plunge: Oil prices dropped over 5% on Wednesday after Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was giving Iran talks 'every chance to succeed,' reflecting market sensitivity to diplomatic efforts and potentially impacting energy sector profitability.
- Escalation of Military Actions: New U.S. airstrikes in Iran targeted a military site deemed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic, adding uncertainty to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations and prompting investors to reassess risk levels in the market.
- Strong Tech Stock Performance: Shares of cloud-based AI and data platform company Snowflake surged 36% following a strong earnings report and a $6 billion investment plan in Amazon Web Services, showcasing investment enthusiasm and market confidence in the tech sector amid rising AI demand.
- Inflation Data Focus: Investors are closely watching the upcoming April inflation reading, which is expected to influence the Fed's future rate decisions, as Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari emphasized that lowering inflation remains a top priority, indicating market sensitivity to economic policy.
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- Market Performance: On Wednesday, the S&P 500 Index rose by 0.02%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.36% to a new record high, while the Nasdaq 100 fell by 0.09%, indicating a divergence in market sentiment amid enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and declining oil prices.
- Oil Price Fluctuations: Crude oil prices plummeted over 5% to a five-week low due to optimism surrounding a US-Iran peace deal, which eased inflation expectations and pushed the 10-year Treasury yield down to a 1.5-week low of 4.45%, providing support for the bond market.
- Mortgage Application Decline: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 8.5% for the week ending May 22, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.4% and the refinancing sub-index down 18.1%, reflecting the dampening effect of high interest rates on housing demand, as the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.65%.
- Corporate Earnings Outlook: As of Wednesday, 83% of the 475 S&P 500 companies that reported Q1 earnings exceeded expectations, with projected earnings growth of 12% year-over-year, but excluding the technology sector, the growth is only 3%, indicating signs of overall earnings weakness.
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- Voting Results: At Wednesday's annual meeting, Chevron shareholders rejected a proposal for an independent chair separate from the CEO position, indicating support for the company's governance structure despite the proposal's backing by the National Legal and Policy Center, which failed to gain sufficient support.
- Board Election Approved: Shareholders unanimously approved the election of all 12 nominated directors, ensuring continuity and stability in corporate governance, reflecting shareholder trust and support for the existing board.
- Human Rights Proposals Rejected: Two additional shareholder proposals regarding indigenous peoples' rights and human rights processes were also rejected, each garnering only 9% support, indicating a lack of strong shareholder demand for enhanced corporate social responsibility, which may impact the company's future social image.
- Meeting Participation: Over 1.6 billion shares were represented at the annual meeting, approximately 85% of the company's outstanding common stock, demonstrating high shareholder engagement and interest in corporate affairs, thereby enhancing governance transparency.
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- Divergent Market Performance: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.07% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.54%, indicating a divergence in market trends, particularly with the Dow reaching a new high, reflecting increased investor confidence in certain sectors.
- Impact of Falling Oil Prices: Crude oil prices dropped over 3% amid optimism for a normalization of oil flows from the Middle East, which not only eased inflation expectations but also pushed the 10-year Treasury yield down to a 1.5-week low of 4.45%, positively affecting the bond market.
- Decline in Mortgage Applications: US MBA mortgage applications fell by 8.5% for the week ending May 22, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down 0.4% and the refinancing sub-index plunging 18.1%, indicating the suppressive effect of high interest rates on the housing market.
- Corporate Earnings Overview: As of now, 83% of the 475 S&P 500 companies that reported Q1 earnings have exceeded expectations, with overall earnings projected to rise by 12% year-on-year, but excluding the tech sector, the growth is only 3%, highlighting disparities across industries.
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