In this piece, we will look at the stocks that Jim Cramer recently discussed.
Jim Cramer’s appearance on Squawk on the Street aired on January 17th covered a wide variety of topics. As the day was in the final few days of the outgoing Biden administration, Cramer shared his thoughts about the policies of the outgoing and incoming governments. Commenting on President-elect Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent’s confirmation hearing Cramer shared that he “liked it.” He shared the reasons behind his approval.
“Well, I think that, in the end, he respects the process. I think a lot of the, I think there’s the process respecters and the process undoers,” Cramer thinks. He “felt that Secretary Bessent, soon to be, I gotta be careful, who knows, he’s talking about, there was a give and take. There was a moment when he was give and take with Senator Sanders.” While during their exchange, Cramer thought “Sanders thought that he was gonna, tee off on Sanders.” However, Bessent and Sanders actually “had common ground, and there was a lot of respect. And then I think Sanders had nothing to say, it was kind of like, okay,” according to the CNBC host.
Another hot topic in the markets is the President-elect’s potential policies on cryptocurrency. When asked by co-host Sara Eisen about his thoughts on Trump passing an executive order for crypto, Cramer stated “I agree and I think, well look the President-elect has made it no secret that he wants a strategic crypto reserve. So I’m not quite sure where that would be. Not in Fort Knox, it’s kind of, anywhere, right. I would like to make sure the blockchain is severe. I’m trying really hard to get a grip on that reserve because it doesn’t jump out at me.”
One country that Cramer regularly targets in his morning thoughts is China. This time around, he likened China to East Germany. ” We thought East Germany was incredibly powerful. They would go to the Olympics, and we’d say they’re amazing. We thought their schools were really great. And it turned out to be an empty suit,” believes Cramer. China needs “exports, they need everybody, they need help from everyone and they don’t wanna help anyone,” according to him.
In fact, China might be one of the reasons “President-elect Trump was elected,” he shared. Cramer shared that this is “because the Chinese dumped everything in every, of what we used to make. I mean my father sold gift wrap. They wiped out the gift wrap companies. So my father ended up working for the Chinese. They were nice to him.” China’s hostility leads Cramer to “think that we all should be cognizant that the Chinese are not our friends. But they are trying. I think that’s smart to try.”
The CNBC host also shared his on a recent conversation between China’s President Xi Jinping and the President-elect. “Well look I think that Taiwan is a hot button. Because President-elect Trump has said why doesn’t Taiwan pay more for its defense? I get that. That’s a kind of the NATO, consistent, right, consistent with NATO,” he shared. Cramer also shared his thoughts on Bessent saying tariffs are not inflationary. According to him, “Well, I liked that even though everything we’ve ever read all our lives says that they’re inflationary.”
He still likes Bessent since Cramer believes “Bessent’s a serious guy. I mean when you sit down and you watch these presentations and interactions in the European world where they interview him. The man is so thoughtful. That you’re close to Secretary Yellen, I think that in terms of a chess match, I’ll bet Bessent. He’s really exciting. He’s an exciting intellect.” In fact, Cramer thinks that Bessent “may know more about the way the economy interacts with our country than anyone out there.”
Finally, the outgoing Biden administration, particularly the Treasury Department, has been repeatedly targeted by Chinese hackers. Cramer quoted a cybersecurity CEO and shared:
“He was describing how out of date most of our government is in terms of identity. Meaning that you can, someone’s hacking you, you’re blocked, because they don’t have the eye, like you know it’s vision, or it’s finger. And we don’t do that. We use very old fashioned technology from the nineties where it’s very easy to hack. Everyone in the world knows the last four digits of your social security number.. . .we need to have visual, or we need to have fingerprint, and we don’t. Which is crazy.”
Our Methodology
To make our list of the stocks that Jim Cramer talked about, we listed down all the stocks he mentioned during CNBC’s Squawk on the Street aired on January 17th.
For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds invest in? 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
17. QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 31
QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO) is a small software company headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut. Along with its software and technology consulting business, the firm is also seeking to gain a foothold in the building products distribution market. On this front, QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO) made the news earlier this month when it put forward an $11 billion takeover build for roofing company Beacon Roofing. While the deal has been rejected by Beacon’s board, QXO, Inc. (NASDAQ:QXO) aims to pursue it nevertheless by targeting the firm’s shareholders. The firm is also shifting to the NYSE, and Cramer’s remarks came as it rang the opening bell:
“Well, Brad Jacobs, who we know is the CEO. This is his ninth ringing of the bell. . . .A hostile takeover against Beacon, Beacon is a company I liked very much once it [inaudible] independent. So all I can say is this that [inaudible] but it’s going to be a real battle.”
16. Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 32
Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) is one of the largest steel manufacturing companies in America. It has been a regular feature of several of Cramer’s shows this year. This is primarily because of Cramer’s analysis of the steel industry and Japanese firm Nippon Steel’s planned acquisition of US Steel. Cramer has quoted Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) several times to outline that cheap Chinese steel flooding the market has depressed steel prices and harmed American steel companies. This time around, he was full of praise for Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE):
“I mean look, if you’re Nucor, maybe arguably the best steel company in the world, you’re saying, you know if we don’t get a rate cut soon, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
15. Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 34
Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) is a well-known biotechnology company whose vaccines helped the world battle the coronavirus pandemic. Cramer’s comments for the firm in 2025 however have revolved around the firm failing to follow up with similar products. He believes that Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) has not delivered its promised cancer vaccines, but the firm’s massive cash pile can prove to be the firm’s saving grace. The firm doesn’t generate a profit as it nearly spends all of its revenue on research and development. Here are Cramer’s latest remarks for Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA):
“No Moderna’s been one of the biggest disappointments of the year. I think, Stephane Bancel, he would be very good more on science, maybe if they had more of a, somewhat CEO in there, that would be terrific.”
14. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 36
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) is one of the top online trading platforms in the US. The firm surged in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when stay-at-home mandates and stimulus checks led to a boom in retail trading. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD)’s shares are up by a massive 351% over the past year particularly due to cryptocurrency’s growing popularity in traditional markets. The stock has sustained momentum even though the firm has missed several earnings estimates in 2024. Cramer’s comments for Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) surrounded Morgan Stanley naming it a top pick and hiking the price target to $64 from $55:
“It’s been remarkable. And you and I both know that this is now part of the conversation when you talk about brokers. Youthful, other companies just missed that entirely. A lot of options trading, they’ll be in there buying Rigetti, they’re buying the new companies. The other guys dropped the ball. I mean look, e-trade didn’t even move the needle. I didn’t think Morgan Stanley talked enough about young people. This is the young person’s brokerage house. And young people indeed will inherit not only the Earth, but a ton of money. Are they doing it right? I think Robinhood is doing some great things with the IRAs and retirement. I’ve been impressed. I think all I can say is that the old Robinhood has matured, the new Robinhood is a share capture. Very impressive.
“A huge percentage of their business is crypto. . . .the crypto by the way are the kind of coins that Gensler is not in favor of. They do a lot of the ones that are kind of, that you and I might think are extraneous.”
13. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 39
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) is a large logistics company headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. Its shares closed 2024 13.9% lower as an economic slowdown impacted its business. These struggles have resulted primarily from weakened consumer spending which has impacted volumes shipped by J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) and led to higher operating costs. The downward slump continued in January after the firm’s stock dipped by 7% after the firm’s Q4 profit per share of $1.53 missed analyst estimates of $1.61. Cramer started his remarks by quoting the pessimism during J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)’s latest earnings call:
“I mean, this is the trucker depression. The first quarter is going to be terrible. This is a great company. . . But there was not a single line that I was happy with. And I felt so bad. These guys are really, it’s very earnest. They’re all been there for a very long time. It’s a terrific company. But even intermodal wasn’t that good. If you read that you’d say we need a rate cut. That’s what Jay Powell should read that now so it feels really good today.”
12. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 46
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG) is a sizable regional bank headquartered in Rhode Island. The current high interest rate era, which increases depositor payments but reduces the demand for loans has forced Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG) to run a tight ship. As a result, during the first nine months of 2024, the bank’s net interest income fell by 11.2%. Over the past year, its shares have gained 50.4%. The jump has primarily been on the back of a 14% surge following the election and a 9.8% gain since January 10th. The winds appear to be shifting for Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:CFG) as it beat Q4 expectations on the back of capital markets fees jumping by 39% to $121 million. Cramer briefly mentioned the stock:
“I like Citizens. Yeah I do.”
11. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 56
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has been one of the top-performing stocks on Wall Street over the past couple of years because of its weight loss medications. The shares are up by 16.4% year-over-year. Cramer has spent quite a bit of time discussing Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) in January. He continues to support the firm despite the fact that year-to-date the stock is down by 6.7% as investors worry about weak guidance. Cramer believes that Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s narrative will be driven by its drug approvals. His latest comments surrounded Medicare coverage extending to weight loss drugs:
“I think that there are a lot of people who felt that this had to happen. Uh, David Ricks, would be one of them, the CEO of Lilly. I think that you don’t have comorbidities with these and it’s going to be difficult. Otherwise they would, you know you talk about eight billion dollars, maybe for Novo, and Lilly’s drug is superior in terms of weight reduction at the same dose. No one thought that they would be able to just run amok. And I think that while the stocks are down, it’s going to be the greatest drug of all time. And everybody knows that. The persistence level of people who take it is much higher than what we’re hearing about. Drug and exercise, exercise has failed us. Diet has failed us. So drug is the way to make it so that people who can’t lose weight have to take it. But it’s not a shock. You go sell it, I don’t care.”
10. Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 58
Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH) is a software company best known for its dating application Tinder. Its shares are down by 9.9% over the past year primarily on the back of a whopping 17.9% drop in November. Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)’s shares sank in November after the firm missed Q3 revenue estimates and guided Q4 revenue at a $870 million midpoint which was far lower than consensus analyst estimates of $905.4 million. Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH)’s Tinder users also dropped by 9% annually as users navigated a post-pandemic world. Cramer commented on the drop:
“Match Group’s Tinder down 9%.
“But I do think that down 9% in average monthly users is quite a blow.”
9. Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 60
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is one of the biggest information technology equipment providers in the world. The stock performance remained lackluster in 2024 due to the broader non-AI IT industry’s sluggish performance in a high interest rate environment. However, Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s shares did jump by 6.8% in August after the firm’s fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $13.64 billion beat analyst estimates of $13.54 billion. However, the stock dipped by 1.4% after the Q1 results when the firm’s $55.8 billion of annual revenue met analyst estimates. Here is what Cramer said about Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO):
“Yes and Chuck Robbins there putting on his business round table hat. Runs it, but I will tell you that I think that this combination of what, Splunk, which they bought and old Cisco are gonna produce some terrific numbers. This cybersecurity program that they have . . .is very strong. And I think they’re gonna win a lot of federal business and a lot of banking business. By the way, their competitors are very positive about Cisco’s technology. I did not expect that.
“[on the stock’s comeback] It’s been a horse. It’s been terrific. And I think that Chuck is a very reasonable terrific person, other than the fact that he strangely is an Atlanta Falcons fan. Talk about pass, fail. That’s a fail. But, Chuck’s terrific and the numbers are gonna be really good and the P/E multiple is very low, seventeen times earnings, this is a tech company that’s overlooked. I like it.”
8. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 61
Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) is a Danish pharmaceutical company that is one of the leading players in the global weight loss drug market. Cramer’s recent comments about the firm wondered whether the incoming Trump administration could target it to negotiate with Denmark to cede Greenland to the US. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)’s shares are down by 26.8% over the past year after having dealt a hefty 17.8% blow in December after its weight loss drug trial missed investor expectations. Cramer’s latest comments for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) surrounded its weight loss drugs being picked for Medicare price negotiations:
“[On weight loss drugs being part of Medicare] I think that there are a lot of people who felt that this had to happen. Uh, David Ricks, would be one of them, the CEO of Lilly. I think that you don’t have comorbidities with these and it’s going to be difficult. Otherwise they would, you know you talk about eight billion dollars, maybe for Novo, and Lilly’s drug is superior in terms of weight reduction at the same dose. No one thought that they would be able to just run amok. And I think that while the stocks are down, it’s going to be the greatest drug of all time. And everybody knows that. The persistence level of people who take it is much higher than what we’re hearing about. Drug and exercise, exercise has failed us. Diet has failed us. So drug is the way to make it so that people who can’t lose weight have to take it. But it’s not a shock. You go sell it, I don’t care.”
7. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 70
Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) is a cloud computing hardware and software provider. It provides networking software as well as products such as Ethernet adapters. Over the past year, the shares have gained 86% primarily on the back of AI-related tailwinds that are expected to benefit the firm due to the growth in data centers. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) had a great 2024 as it continually guided Q3, Q2, and Q4 revenue above analyst estimates. Cramer is also a fan of the firm and its CEO as he shared:
“Then Arista, well you know Arista’s the one a lot of people feel, that’s Jayshree Ullal, Jayshree, that’s the plumbing for data centers. So that makes a lot of sense. Jayshree is a very compelling figure in terms of, even more than Broadcom, in the data center.”
6. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 72
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) is one of the largest banks in the US in terms of domestic exposures. Like other mega-bank stocks, its shares have performed well over the past six months. They have gained 30% over this time period, with two notable drops coming in November and January when the shares soared by 13% and 6.7%. The former was due to President-elect Trump’s election win while the latter came after Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC)’s Q4 saw investment banking income jump by 59% and guided net interest income growth ranging between 1% to 3% for 2025. Here is what Cramer said:
“Look I love Charlie Scharf [WFC CEO] and he’s terrific. But, when it, Charlie’s got a great national bank. But when it comes to capital markets, there was none better. It was really great. I mean I would like call him and congratulate. I mean I don’t like to congratulate, but I’d congratulate Charlie and I’d congratulate David because I think that they are, they are really two of some of the greatest successes. I mean look at the price-to-earnings multiples of these Sarah. They’re incredibly cheap. These are like thirteen, fourteen times earnings and they’re just crushing it!”
5. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 72
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) is one of the largest investment banks in the world. Its shares are up by 66% over the past year as capital markets have continued to recover after having dealt hefty blows by high interest rates. January has been a great month for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)’s shares as well since they have gained 8.9% year-to-date. The stock has gained 9.5% following the bank’s latest earnings report which saw it more than double its profit to $4.11 billion and mark a 24% growth in its investment banking income. Cramer’s comments mentioned The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)’s latest quarter and its top executives:
“It was a monster quarter, it was really terrific. There was a lot of mention of private equity and what they can do. And, private credit. But look it was the, wealth management was fantastic. M&A coming back. Look both these people, I know Solomon pretty well. He has evolved, to the point where I think a lot of people feel he could even be the spokesperson for the industry. Everyone likes Waldron, always have. I mean when I say everyone, you know, bankers and media.”
“[When asked whether Waldron is a presumed successor to Solomon] I just don’t, you know until you mentioned the retention bonus I would’ve thought that at a certain point kind of like what happened to JPMorgan. You get too old to become the CEO. You don’t have enough time, enough window. But I just think, you know going back to which was the best quarter[among all the banks]? This was.”
“Look I love Charlie Scharf and he’s terrific. But, when it, Charlie’s got a great national bank. But when it comes to capital markets, there was none better. It was really great. I mean I would like call him and congratulate. I mean I don’t like to congratulate, but I’d congratulate Charlie and I’d congratulate David because I think that they are, they are really two of some of the greatest successes. I mean look at the price-to-earnings multiples of these Sarah. They’re incredibly cheap. These are like thirteen, fourteen times earnings and they’re just crushing it!”
“If, David stays another four years you would not appoint a CEO whose over sixty. They just don’t do that in the business.”
4. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 116
Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a provider of customer relationship management software-as-a-service (SaaS) products. Its shares are up by 31% over the past six months primarily on the back of AI initiatives and software such as Agentforce. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)’s stock surged by 11% in December after the firm’s Agentforce forecasts impressed investors. Later during the month, Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) announced that it had closed more than a thousand Agentforce deals to make its mark in the industry. Cramer also mentioned the firm’s AI platform in his comments:
“Salesforce up six. Well, there was a recommendation today, and I’ve got to tell you, I think it’s all about Agentforce. Which is doing so well. The stock will be down soon because there are sellers everywhere in Salesforce. And I think the sellers ought to rethink their game plan because their numbers are going to be very good. But the stock always tends to open up and then go down.”
3. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 128
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the most important semiconductor companies in the world. The firm’s shares have surged by 47.9% over the past six months on the back of a strong 38.4% jump in December. The December jump followed Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)’s claims that it expects a $60 to $90 billion AI opportunity in 2027. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), along with Marvell, has grown in importance lately due to its ability to capture the custom AI processor market as firms rush to fill in the gap left by supply constraints of NVIDIA’s products. Here’s what Cramer said:
“Well people love the semis. Uh, we are getting a, today a second day after what was terrific from Taiwan Semi. And now people are starting to recognize that Broadcom is worthy of buying.”
2. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 158
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is the most valuable consumer electronics firm in the world. It has been a regular feature in Cramer’s recent shows. The CNBC host believes that the iPhone’s sales play an unnecessarily large role in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s hypothesis. The stock is vulnerable to any reports of an iPhone downturn as the smartphone accounts for more than half of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s revenue. Cramer has also dismissed Mark Zuckerberg’s criticism of innovation ending at the firm since Steve Jobs’ death. This time around, he commented on the impact of the Chinese economy on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL):
“Well I mean look, people are trying to justify like Evercore comes out and says listen we got the stronger for longer iPhone cycle. Uh, yeah that’s true but the decline I think had a lot to do with the fact that the stock had this spurt, at the end of the year that seemed really. I mean what was that about? I mean NVIDIA had somewhat of a similar one and both stocks have just been laggards since the year began. And it’s just a lot of controversy, a lot of belief that the stocks have gotten overvalued. I say, own them, don’t trade them. But, I don’t think Apple’s going to have a good quarter. Who does think Apple’s going to have a good quarter? I mean that’s the thing when you read these pieces of research, Sarah, they’re all saying you know what Apple could surprise to the downside. Well, if everyone says that Apple’s going to surprise to the downside then what kind of surprise is it? It’s a surprising non-surprise.”
“This is cell phone, Sarah. Well, because, cell phone, not a good sector. It’s just not. It’s a no growth sector. But that can change. And don’t forget there’s so many other revenue streams. That service revenue stream from Apple is so terrific. I mean I love paying for something at 3 am that I didn’t know I paid.”
“Well look if the GDP number [for China] were real as opposed to what I think which is doctored, you would believe that Apple is doing well. Apple wildcard to the downside. It’s kind of a two of clubs.”
1. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 235
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the biggest social media companies in the world. It is also playing a key role in the AI industry and is one of the few firms with a foundational AI model. Investors have rewarded Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) due to its potential to monetize AI. Most of Cramer’s comments for the firm in 2025 have revolved around its CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. This time around, he sought to set the narrative straight about the CEO’s relationship with President-elect Trump. Here is what Cramer said about Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META):
“[ON TRUMP THREATENING TO JAIL ZUCKERBERG] I want to clarify, the President-elect has taken back those things that he said about Mark Zuckerberg. That is not the latest state of things. It is much more positive. And I know that both of them wanna be sure that that’s not the case, the repeated sent to jail. Just pointing it out. Because of the people that you mentioned, the best relationships, it’s now Zuckerberg.”
META is a stock Jim Cramer recently talked about. While we acknowledge the potential of META as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than META but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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