On Thursday, Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, shared his thoughts on the president’s recent stance against the “false free trade era,” expressing his agreement with the shift away from free trade.
“Yes, I’m not a big fan of free trade. Yes, I feel that our country has been abused by our so-called trading partners, especially when it comes to cars. And yes, I favor the 25% tariff on automobile imports. Close watchers of the show know that this is not a new view for me. I’ve seen China devastate entire industries in this country.”
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Cramer said that America made a “deal with the devil” in the 1990s by allowing the influx of cheap goods from overseas. He noted that while there is nothing inherently wrong with affordable products, the trade-off has been the decimation of American industries and the devastation of factory towns across the country.
Cramer observed that the loss of manufacturing jobs has been a major concern. He noted that while the decision to import cheap goods may have seemed like a good deal at the time, in retrospect, it has led to significant societal and economic damage. He added:
“Now the president has declared that false free trade era is over, and I’m on board with this even as I wish he could lay out a clear plan rather than rolling out the tariffs one by one.”
He emphasized that if America wanted to bring back manufacturing jobs, sacrifices would be required, including the imposition of tariffs. The most important point for Cramer was the acknowledgment that these jobs, along with the many ancillary positions tied to them, had been lost, but there might be a chance for some of them to return.
“Factory jobs may not be as important these days as every other kind of job, frankly but when we look around our country at all these gutted small towns that have led to such despair, such drug use, such homelessness, the bargain for cheap goods, I think it’s a mistake. I’m glad the White House is finally going full speed in the opposite direction. It’s about time.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 16 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on March 27. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the fourth quarter of 2024, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 1,000 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Jim Cramer Put These 16 Stocks Under a Microscope
16. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE:TKC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 9
A caller asked what Cramer thought about Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE:TKC) and he stated, “Well, I mean that’s like a dice roll…. That’s a bridge too far for me.”
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE:TKC) provides a variety of digital services, including broadband, cloud storage, communication platforms, digital payments, and cybersecurity, alongside financial offerings like loans and insurance. According to the company’s 2025 guidance, the company aims for revenue growth of 7%-9%, data center and cloud revenue growth of 32%-34%, an EBITDA margin of 41%-42%, and an operational capex to sales ratio of approximately 24%.
15. GRAIL, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRAL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
Highlighting the current focus on preventative medicine and the Cancer Moonshot, a caller asked his thoughts on GRAIL, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRAL) and Cramer replied:
“I actually like GRAIL a lot. I am probably alone on this because they’re losing a lot of money. But for exactly why you said I like Grail and I would be a buyer.”
GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) is a healthcare company specializing in early cancer detection technologies, offering screening tests for asymptomatic individuals, diagnostic aids for suspected cancer cases, and post-diagnostic tests, along with development services for clinical studies and research. Earlier, in January, when Cramer was asked about the company, he said:
“Just great science, but it is parabolic. It had a parabolic move, and those are going to be repealed…Please wait until it gives back a lot of the gain that it just had.”
14. TransMedics Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMDX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29
Commenting on TransMedics Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMDX) during the episode, Cramer said:
“Yeah, this is transplant therapy and… I think that it’s an interesting company. I’m not going to necessarily recommend it right here. It’s very expensive, but it is an interesting company.”
TransMedics Group (NASDAQ:TMDX) is a medical technology company that revolutionizes organ transplant treatment through its Organ Care System, which maintains and monitors donor organs outside the body, in addition to providing logistics and organ retrieval services. Carillon Tower Advisers stated the following regarding TransMedics Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMDX) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“TransMedics Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMDX) focuses on the care, transport, and viability of donor organs using a fleet of aircraft and logistics center. Despite the high demand for viable donor organs, challenges remain in harvesting and preserving these organs efficiently. In the most recent quarter, Transmedics reported impressive revenue growth, but missed consensus expectations, attributing the shortfall to seasonality rather than to competition. Shortly before its investor day in December, Transmedics hired a new chief financial officer and lowered full-year guidance by several million dollars.”
13. Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DOC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37
When Cramer was asked about Healthpeak Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DOC) during the lightning round, he said:
“Yeah, now, this is a REIT that does medical properties and I think it’s good. I’ve not been in love with that kind of REIT, but I do think it’s a reasonable REIT.”
Healthpeak Properties (NYSE:DOC) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) and S&P 500 company that owns, operates, and develops premium healthcare-focused real estate. As per the company’s reported results for 2024, it achieved a net income of $0.36 per share, Nareit FFO of $1.61 per share, and AFFO of $1.60 per share.
During the year, Healthpeak Properties (NYSE:DOC) also completed its merger with Physicians Realty Trust, creating a combined portfolio of nearly 50 million square feet. It also achieved record performance in its Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) segment, with a 21% same-store growth and $143 million in entry fee net cash receipts.
12. Rubrik, Inc. (NYSE:RBRK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
In response to a caller’s question about Rubrik, Inc. (NYSE:RBRK), Cramer said:
“They’ve had two great quarters. What can I say? I watch them when they’re on air and man, they are doing, they’re doing very, very well. And you know, I do like cybersecurity.”
Rubrik (NYSE:RBRK) offers data security solutions for individuals and businesses, including enterprise, cloud, and SaaS data protection, as well as services for identity protection, data threat analytics, and cyber recovery. In 2024, Cramer was asked about the company and he said:
“If you’re willing to own a very expensive enterprise software company, you should own Rubrik. Because it is a really good company, but it is really expensive.”
11. Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
A caller asked if it was a good time to initiate a position in Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) and here’s what Cramer had to say:
“You know, that last quarter was not good and I was quite surprised. I like Rob Lynch very much. I’m inclined to want to buy it, but when I see a quarter that is that much off from where I expected, we have to wait another quarter. You know, like I said, I really like Rob Lynch. I loved him at Papa John’s, but geez, that was not a good quarter.”
Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK) owns and operates Shake Shack restaurants globally, serving a variety of items such as burgers, chicken, hot dogs, fries, shakes, frozen custard, and beverages like beer and wine.
10. Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54
A caller asked Cramer’s thoughts on the merger between Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) and Skydance. In response, he said:
“Well, you’re done there. You just want to, you know, just ring the register. You’re done. There’s not going to be any more upside to speak of. Let’s move on and find something with a little more growth.”
Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) is a media and entertainment company that provides television networks, streaming platforms, and film production, featuring a collection of prominent brands and studios for both domestic and global distribution. On March 17, Cramer expressed a similar bearish sentiment when he was asked about the company as he said:
“Take the money and run. It’s kind of a done deal. We move on to the next, we find the next big one. I suggest that you actually take a look at Disney, which is really cheap.”
9. FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
In response to a caller’s question about FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), Cramer commented:
“Yeah… I’m going to be careful in this because I was one of the few people that thought that quarter had something that I really like to see. The revenues went down, okay? Yet the earnings went up. The revenues didn’t, were missed, but the earnings went up. That means if they start getting more sales, that thing could explode higher. I actually am not against holding position in FDX.”
FedEx (NYSE:FDX) offers a variety of services, including transportation, e-commerce solutions, and business services, such as express shipping, small-package deliveries, freight, and other business support services. On March 21, Cramer remarked:
“This morning, investors were obsessing over the negative earnings updates that we got from the likes of Nike and FedEx… that the former was yet in another argument that the consumer’s rolling over while the guidance cut from the latter showed that well, commerce, in general, is slowing down.”
8. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 67
A caller asked if Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was a hold ’em or fold ’em and in response, Cramer said:
“I think it’s a hold. It used to be so good. Abbott got some really good news today… and that’s been my favorite. But also Boston Scientific. I prefer Boston Scientific to Edwards Lifesciences, really, really, right now.”
Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) offers advanced cardiovascular products and technologies, including transcatheter heart valve replacement and repair solutions, as well as surgical heart treatments for various valve diseases. Wedgewood Partners stated the following regarding Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) was a contributor to quarterly performance but only slightly impacted annual portfolio performance. As we noted earlier this year, the Company’s flagship transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) franchise slowed as compared to the Company’s recent history. While the TAVR market is maturing, it is still far from saturated, as recent clinical trial results demonstrated. Many aortic stenosis patients prior to seeking TAVR treatment exhibit adverse symptoms, often prompting them to get the help of a doctor in the 7irst place. However, there is a large population af7licted with aortic stenosis that do not exhibit symptoms which is monitored rather than treated with TAVR. Edwards presented data from its EARLY TAVR trial that showed 45 percent of untreated asymptomatic aortic stenosis exhibited no symptoms, still ended up dying, suffered a stroke, or were hospitalized for cardiac events compared to only 26 percent that had been treated with TAVR. The standard of care for a disease such as cancer is immediate intervention rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen. The EARLY trial could help position aortic stenosis treatment on a similar clinical footing as cancer treatment. Although this is just one study, it adds to the substantial body of knowledge that Edwards has created through its R&D investments, emphasizing how important their treatments are for patients. Edwards is well positioned for double-digit earnings growth over the next several years as they expand its structural heart franchise into new populations and indications.”
7. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78
A caller noted Arista Networks, Inc.’s (NYSE:ANET) PE of 33 and in response, Cramer commented:
“It’s never been this cheap that I can recall and you know, I love Jayshree Ullal, but here’s the problem, it’s a data center stock. We gotta see some bounce in the data center. I cannot stick my neck out and have one more data center in my Charitable Trust… Candidly, it’s been a house of pain.”
Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) offers cutting-edge networking solutions for data centers, campuses, and routing, with an emphasis on AI-powered switches and software for automation, monitoring, and security. Last week, Cramer was bullish on the company’s CEO but did mention that the stock has been hit.
“No, Arista’s been an amazing stock for many years and that’s because Jayshree Ullal is such a fantastic executive. Right now, it’s caught up in the data center negativity. At this point, this stock is now down 50 straight points. I’m gonna bet on Jayshree here. I would buy it.”
6. Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 80
A caller highlighted that Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI) has a “ton of cash”, its stock is up, and the company is buying back stock, Cramer remarked:
“Alright, well I liked it because Frank Bisignano was the CEO and I understand he’s, but I believe he, you know, he’s going to social security. But I will tell you this, I think he’s got a good team. It’s also at 21 times earnings. It’s a very, very good company and I’m glad I recommended it, but it wasn’t really mine. I knew who the CEO was and I think he’s terrific and that’s exactly how we made the money on that one.”
Fiserv (NYSE:FI) provides a comprehensive suite of technology solutions for payments and financial services, including merchant acquiring, mobile payments, fraud prevention, digital banking, card transaction processing, and network services. The company serves a wide audience, impacting nearly every household in the U.S.
5. Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 81
In response to a caller’s inquiry about Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ), Cramer said:
“Okay, Block, you know, we had Amrita Ahuja on when we were out in California last weekend. This is a very quizzical situation because they missed the quarter twice. But you know what? It’s come down so much that I gotta think it’s the right price to buy. I’m going to say buy. Buy half right now, and then if it breaks down below 53 and then you can buy more.”
Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) creates ecosystems centered on commerce and financial services, offering a range of tools for businesses and individuals, including payment processing, financial services, peer-to-peer payments, and buy-now-pay-later solutions. The company also operates platforms for music, decentralized finance, and bitcoin-related services.
4. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) was mentioned during the episode, and here’s what Cramer said:
“Alright, I think copper’s going higher and one of the reasons why I like it, by the way… China’s coming back. They’re the biggest user of copper. But also something that Jensen Huang told me, from Nvidia, he said, listen, copper is just the right thing to have in the data center. I was hoping it’ll be replaced by glass… Two-thirds of the copper is used by China and China’s making a comeback here. At least parts are trying to make it a comeback.”
Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) is involved in the extraction of mineral resources across North America, South America, and Indonesia, with a focus on copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals. Appearing on Squawk on the Street last week, Cramer said:
“Freeport, there’s a JPMorgan piece out there upgrading to Overweight. Now what’s important David, let’s say you believe in tariffs. Let’s say that everything is going on and you don’t like the President, or you love the President, doesn’t matter. Freeport could have a 400 to 450 million EBITDA tailwind from tariffs! So let’s say here’s like woohoo tariffs! Go buy some FCX.
And by the way, Jensen Huang is saying that copper is the dominant metal that goes into the data centers. It’s not in the report. The report mostly talks about, yes, Chinese stimulus, cause a lot of the, almost, that’s the majority of copper is used in China. But I really like the call. Stock’s not that expensive. Go buy it… JPMorgan, David. Good as gold. Gold’s a good by product of Freeport. And gold is hitting another high.”
3. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96
A caller asked if they should increase their position in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) and Cramer replied:
“Well, it’s at 12 times earnings. You know what? There’s no hurry. I like it. I talk it a bit over with Jeff Marks every day because we own it for the club, but I’m not going to tell you to go run out and you have to buy it right here. I mean maybe it comes in a little and it gives you a better chance, better entry point, so to speak.”
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) is a global financial services firm that provides a variety of banking, investment, mortgage, and financial solutions. On March 19, Cramer remarked:
“And there’s the banking cycle. Now that’s en fuego, it’s smoking. I mean, it’s crazy. The lack of Democratic regulatory headwind and the slower rate cut cycle, good for them. Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan screaming higher. Doesn’t hurt that the whole industry seems very confident that the Trump regulators will be more bank-friendly than the Biden regulators. Well, no kidding, who wouldn’t be?”
2. Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 98
A caller asked what Cramer thought of Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) and he said:
“I like Flutter…. I like Flutter. This group is sold off. I think it’s sold off too great and I think Flutter is a terrific company. Actually, I think it’s a really, really good company, but I like it… I’m sticking by that.”
Flutter (NYSE:FLUT) is a sports betting and gaming company offering a variety of products, including sportsbooks, iGaming, lottery services, and sports betting through multiple online platforms and brands. It also provides business-to-business pricing and risk management services. On March 6, UBS increased its price target for FLUT to $340 from $335 while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock.
The firm expects strong performance in iGaming revenues, net win margin, and gross margin, with potential gross margin growth driven by the reversal of unfavorable sports outcomes, operational leverage, and improved payment processing efficiencies, factors not yet “baked in” Flutter’s (NYSE:FLUT) current guidance, according to the analyst’s report.
1. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 105
A caller inquired about Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL), noting that its stock is down around 17%. Here’s what Cramer had to say:
“Yeah, people are souring on the data center. I’m pulling in my horns a little bit. I gotta wait to see what CoreWeave says, how that deal does, and then we’ll get a better read on Oracle.”
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is a technology company offering a wide variety of IT services and solutions designed to address the specific requirements of organizations. Parnassus Investments stated the following regarding the company in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) stock posted its best annual performance since 1999 as the software giant gained market share in cloud-based training of generative AI models. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is helping to reaccelerate growth as the company continues to execute well in capturing new deals.”
While we acknowledge the potential of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ORCL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
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