Jim Cramer, the host of Mad Money, pointed out that ongoing uncertainty around tariff policies is likely to continue influencing market movements. He highlighted that stocks saw a decline on Wednesday after President Donald Trump raised the issue of tariffs during a cabinet meeting.
“We were flying high… when President Trump started talking in a televised cabinet meeting and it didn’t take long for him to be, to talk about his obsession: tariffs.”
READ ALSO: 7 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar and Jim Cramer Commented on 12 Stocks Linked to Data Centers
Trump has long been determined to address trade imbalances, often pointing out that many countries have trade surpluses with the United States, a situation he intends to change. Cramer noted that this tariff talk has become such a recurring theme that it is beginning to wear on investors.
He expressed concern that the constant mention of tariffs, especially in the presence of a camera, is increasingly shaping the market environment. As a citizen, Cramer said he has no issue with tariffs if they are used to protect against unfair trade practices.
“But as someone who cares about the stock market, I can tell you that we’re entering a new, more mercurial world where we have to start worrying about the president’s public appearances because we don’t know which country, which continent, which ally he is going to attack next.”
Cramer also emphasized that the unpredictability of tariff discussions has overshadowed other major economic concerns. For example, the bond market, which had dominated financial conversations for years, has taken a back seat due to the overwhelming focus on tariffs. He pointed to a significant drop in long-term interest rates, noting that the 10-year treasury bond, which had seemed on track to approach 5%, has now fallen to 4.25%. He commented that the change in the bond market is striking considering that the U.S. government has continued to hold large bond auctions. He added:
“Long-term interest rates have plummeted. The 10-year treasury, which not that long goes seemed to be headed toward 5%, is now slouching toward 4%, finishing at 4.25% today. That’s insane, especially when you remember that we have kept, keep having gigantic bond auctions… A couple months ago, if we got this kind of action, the bond market stocks would’ve exploded higher, probably making new all-time high after all-time high after all-time high.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 10 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on February 26. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock 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 Shed Light on These 10 Stocks
10. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78
Cramer highlighted Arista Networks, Inc.’s (NYSE:ANET) recently reported solid quarterly results but did note that there is more competition now.
“I thought they reported a good quarter. I know people are worried about the Meta business. I think the Oracle business can make up for that. But there are other people who feel like, you know what, everybody’s shooting at them right now. I think it can bounce, but I know that the competition has gotten tougher. Let’s leave it at that.”
Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) provides advanced networking solutions for data centers, campuses, and routing, focusing on AI-driven switches and software for automation, monitoring, and security. As the company was among those that hit $100 billion in market cap in 2024, Cramer stated in December 2024:
“There’s Arista Networks, which provides hardware and software that monitors data and provides solutions for the big data center companies. No wonder the stock rallied 83% yet it remains relatively unknown, in part because it’s invisible. It makes so-called white boxes. So what? The money’s not invisible.”
9. Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Cramer mentioned that he is not fond of the auto market presently when he was asked about Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:RIVN) and explained:
“I don’t like the auto market and while I still appreciate Rivian’s balance sheet, they need so much more money, I think, ultimately, to become a big company. So I cannot go there because I think you’ll look back and say, why did Jim green light that to me? And I’m not going to do that.”
Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) designs, engineers, and produces electric vehicles, including pickup trucks and SUVs, while also offering various consumer services like financing, insurance, maintenance, and charging options. On February 24, DA Davidson analyst Michael Shlisky increased the price target on the stock to $13 from $12, maintaining a Neutral rating on the stock.
While vehicle demand may remain flat at best this year, Shlisky noted that Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) is boosting its marketing efforts to ensure its brand stays prominent ahead of the R2 launch and to take advantage of near-term opportunities with the R1S and R1T. Additionally, the analyst highlighted the company’s growing collaboration with VW and its focus on diversifying revenue through non-vehicle sources.