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Stephanie Link, whose "Halftime Report" model portfolio is up 11 percent this year, is replacing Whirlpool in favor of Zions Bancorporation.
Link is in second place in CNBC Pro's competition and aims to take the lead with her moves.
"I still own (Whirlpool) in the fund and I still like it very much, especially with the 0.4 percent increase in wage growth within the jobs report (which) should fuel growth going forward," Link wrote in a email.
She added, "But for the contest I need a stock with a catalyst into the end of the year. So I'll take my small loss in Whirlpool Corporation and add Zions Bancorporation."
Here is why Link recommends Zion fundamentally.
