Billionaire Leon Cooperman’s Top 3 Stocks: Buy, Sell or Hold
Billionaire Leon Cooperman's top 3 stocks are Vertiv Holdings, Rocket Companies, and Energy Transfer. Each stock has a different call, with Vertiv warranting patience, Rocket Companies warranting patience, and Energy Transfer looking most compelling.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Leon Cooperman's Omega Advisors has three names doing outsized work in the portfolio right now. Vertiv Holdings warrants patience, Rocket Companies warrants patience, and Energy Transfer looks most compelling. Each stock has a distinct 2026 tailwind, from AI power buildouts to hyperscale natural gas demand.
Imagine you have three different stocks that are all doing well, but each one has a different problem. One stock is a great business, but its price is too high. Another stock is integrating new businesses quickly, but it needs interest rates to fall. The third stock is paying a high yield, but it has some debt and tax issues. This is like a game where you have to choose which stock to invest in, and each one has its own pros and cons.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
Vertiv Holdings is a great business with an uncomfortable multiple. The company sells power and cooling systems inside AI data centers, and the run shows it. Shares are up 88.08% YTD against the S&P 500's 10.69%, and the company joined the index in March 2026. Q1 revenue jumped 30.1% to $2.65B, adjusted EPS hit $1.17 versus $1.01 expected, and management raised full-year guidance to $6.30 to $6.40 in adjusted EPS on organic growth of 29% to 31%. Backlog sits at a record $15B. At 80 trailing and 52 forward earnings with a beta of 2.03, execution is priced in. EMEA revenue fell 20.3% last quarter, and the stock has pulled back 4.17% in the past week. The 26 analysts covering VRT carry an average target of $377.40, implying 23.9% upside, though targets are one data point rather than a promise. The setup favors patience over chasing the current print.
Why Rates Still In Charge
Rocket Companies warrants patience because the story is genuinely bifurcated. The Mr. Cooper and Redfin acquisitions are integrating faster than planned, with the full $400M Mr. Cooper synergy target now expected by end of 2026, a year ahead of schedule. Story Continues Q1 revenue exploded 167.1% to $2.94B, and adjusted EBITDA reached $738M versus $169M a year prior. The combined servicing book now spans $2.1T in unpaid principal across 9.4M loans. Yet shares are down 24.59% YTD versus the S&P 500's 10.69% gain, diluted share count has ballooned to roughly 2.85B, and TTM GAAP EPS is -$0.03. The consensus target of $18.94 implies 29.7% upside, but the 16 analysts covering RKT split 2 Strong Buy, 6 Buy, 8 Hold, which is closer to mixed than bullish. The thesis needs rates to fall and integration to execute simultaneously. Neither is confirmed.
ET Pays a 6.65% Yield to Wait
At $19.91, Energy Transfer looks most compelling of the three. The MLP raised full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $18.20B to $18.60B, a $750M lift, and locked in gas supply agreements with Oracle ramping to roughly 900 MMcf/d across three data center facilities plus the Nexus Hubbard AI hyperscale campus. Q1 adjusted EBITDA rose 20% to $4.94B, and distributable cash flow climbed to $2.70B. The quarterly distribution of $0.3375 annualizes to $1.35, a 6.65% yield, and units trade at just 17 trailing and 12 forward earnings. Units are up 25.14% YTD, more than double the S&P 500's 10.69%, and 21 analysts rate it 5 Strong Buy, 14 Buy, 2 Hold with an average target of $23.64, implying 18.7% additional upside. Long-term debt of $68.3B and the Lake Charles LNG impairment are real drags, and the K-1 structure adds tax friction. Fee-based cash flows, a distribution growing at 3%-plus annually, and multi-decade hyperscaler contracts still make the risk/reward the cleanest of Cooperman's three names. ET pays a 6.65% yield to wait while the AI natural gas thesis compounds.
Key points
- Vertiv Holdings warrants patience due to its high multiple.
- Rocket Companies warrants patience due to its bifurcated story.
- Energy Transfer looks most compelling due to its high yield and growth prospects.
- AI power buildouts and hyperscale natural gas demand are driving stock performance.
- Interest rates and integration are key factors in the success of Rocket Companies and Energy Transfer.
If the AI power buildout and hyperscale natural gas demand continue to grow, Energy Transfer's stock price could increase, making it a more attractive investment option. Additionally, if the integration of Mr. Cooper and Redfin acquisitions at Rocket Companies is successful, the company's stock price could also increase.
If interest rates continue to rise, it could negatively impact Rocket Companies' stock price, making it a less attractive investment option. Additionally, if Energy Transfer's debt and tax issues are not addressed, it could negatively impact the company's stock price and make it a less attractive investment option.
