In his latest appearance on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Jim Cramer reacted to the partial tariff exemptions announced by the White House, interpreting them not as a full retreat, but as a strategic pause designed to avoid punishing American companies. He suggested the administration was being careful not to hand over competitive advantages to Southeast Asian rivals, particularly Samsung:
“So what I saw today, and not to be facetious, but what I see is people saying, you know what, we’ve seen the downside. Maybe we can test it again. But the president has, I don’t want to say blink, because that’s nonsense. What the president did was say, OK, look, we’re not going to continue to punish American companies and give the green light to Korea. I don’t know if you heard Lutnick’s words. He was very specific. Southeast Asia. That’s Samsung. They didn’t want to give the ball to Samsung.”
READ ALSO: Jim Cramer Hints at a Bigger Agenda Behind Tariffs and Breaks Down These 7 Stocks and Jim Cramer Reacts to the Surprise Market Surge and Highlights 8 Key Stocks.
Turning to currency dynamics, Cramer pushed back on what he sees as misplaced panic over a weakening U.S. dollar. Instead, he argued that a softer dollar actually benefits American multinationals and gives long-needed relief to CFOs who’ve spent years blaming currency strength for lost market share:
“Well, look, I’m not so certain I’m going to do a little contrary stuff on the dollar here. When we listen to conference calls, for the last four years, all we hear about is it would have been so much better if the dollar weren’t so strong. We keep losing share, the dollar’s too strong. Suddenly the dollar’s weaker, and now we start hearing all the downside, what, the bonds? I mean, I’m almost thinking that, I’m gonna put this out there, the people who are saying that it’s the end of the world, that the dollar is weaker, I think they have to go do some work boots on the ground. […] So suddenly the dollar’s weaker and we are petrified? These are people who have an agenda. And their agenda is to say, you know what matters more than anything else? Our hegemony from a strong dollar. And I don’t get it. If you’re in our business of picking stocks, you’re sick and tired of hearing CFOs say, we are done. We’ve got to stop this dollar rise.”
Cramer also gave his opinion about the rhetoric coming from Beijing, likening it to the Cold War-era paranoia of the 1960s and ’70s. He questioned whether a diplomatic breakthrough similar to Nixon’s historic visit to China is even possible under the current tone of U.S.-China relations:
“But when I listen to the rhetoric from China, this is the 1968-72 rhetoric. It’s the kind of rhetoric that just says there’s never going to be a meeting. Is there a way to have a Nixon to China moment? Because as far as I’m concerned, this is just right now you’re on the verge of when I was a little boy and we kept thinking, when are they going to bomb us? I mean, that was the same rhetoric. When are they going to launch their nuclear weapons? I mean, that’s why we used to live in fear. That’s why we had cubbyholes. That’s why we used to put our heads in a cubbyhole, because the Chinese were going to bomb us if the Russians didn’t bomb us. This is the same sound.”
Our Methodology
To make our list of the stocks that Jim Cramer talked about, we listed down the stocks he mentioned during CNBC’s Squawk on the Street aired on April 14th.
For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. 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).
11. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 98
During a discussion about the recent weakness in the U.S. dollar, Jim Cramer pointed out how multinational companies often cite currency strength as a barrier to growth. He specifically referenced Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) as one of the companies that could benefit from a weaker dollar and did not hesitate to point out what he likes about the company. Here is what he said:
“Because when you hear Johnson & Johnson tomorrow morning, Great American company, AAA balance sheet, always been good. All you ever hear from them, from Joe Wolk, who’s the excellent CFO he is, if it weren’t for the dollar, if it weren’t for the dollar …”
10. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 166
Jim Cramer spoke extensively about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in the context of escalating U.S.-China trade tensions and the existential threat tariffs pose to the company’s supply chain and margin structure. He emphasized how vulnerable Apple is compared to competitors like Samsung, especially when government policies appear to be more favorable to foreign players. Here is what he had to say:
“Look, I can’t tell what really happened with Apple, other than the fact that if you wanted to take Apple down, you’d keep doing what they were doing. And the reason I say that, very specifically, is because Apple is a loser to Samsung. […]
[Discussing Commerce Secretary’s stance on Apple] So it was really punitive against Apple. And as if the $500 billion they were going to spend here really didn’t matter. I do believe that there’s a certain sense in the White House that Apple hasn’t really spent from the last time it said it was going to do a lot in America, because it’s not shovel. They want shovel.”
A day earlier, Jim Cramer analyzed some of the risks that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) faces with the current regime. Here’s what he said last time:
“And I think that one of the things that’s happening is that people are just saying, look, it’s too crazy. I mean, Apple was up. Now, I could argue that Apple shouldn’t have ever been up, but Apple’s come down. There’s a sense that, like, OK, this thing may be for real. And if it’s real, then how can you own Apple? Why not go buy Samsung?
[on 18% of Apple’s sales coming from China] That’s existential for Tim (Cook). […] Well, they can’t move to India faster.
[On speaking with people from Trump’s administration] When I speak with them, I’m viewed as being a, someone who is a lapdog to Apple. And I resent that. I think that Apple’s one of the greatest companies. […]
Is Apple not the greatest? One of the four-five greatest companies in the world. So why are they being punished? What did they do wrong?”
9. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 68
Cramer reacted to Deutsche Bank’s downgrade of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), citing structural uncertainties and softening volumes. While he expressed some long-term confidence in leadership and fundamentals, he warned that the stock’s low valuation could be misleading if earnings expectations continue to decline. Here’s how he framed his view:
“Deutsche Bank says, reluctantly, they have to downgrade GM, buy to hold, structural uncertainties. They’re talking about some real headwinds. But this is the first time I’ve just heard point blank: volumes are going to be down.
And I think the reason why that matters is, look, we’re not talking about tariffs. Tariffs are going to hurt. But we’re talking about the American consumer. And now, this could mean that used cars come into vogue. But you’ve got a stock that has a 4 P/E. And what that really is typically is that maybe it has a 10, 12 P/E because the earnings are going to come down. So, I would be wary. I like this stock. I like Mary Barra. […]
Do I want to go against this? The stock’s actually up for the year. But maybe this is the first of many who say, listen, I’ve got to take my numbers down. Because people aren’t sure what is tariffed and what’s not.”
8. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 64
In a segment that blended sarcasm with market skepticism, Jim Cramer mocked a friend’s bearish view on Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR), while also acknowledging its momentum-driven rally. Despite the joke, Cramer implied the stock has become more about hype than fundamentals. Here’s what he said:
“I agree, and I noticed that “Planter”, as one of my friends called it the other day, I’m shorting Planter because I think Planter, and I’m thinking like Planter, like Planter fascist? Palantir, they were trying to say. Palantir is just moving up and moving up. It’s back. It’s making its move. Alex Karp, any minute now, is going to come out and tell us how he’s great and you’re not.”
Last week, Jim Cramer advised his viewers to not sell the stock of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR) during the market drawdown, saying:
“But then I don’t want anybody to think that I think it’s time to sell Palantir. Palantir can go to 40, I don’t know.”
7. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 81
Jim Cramer discussed Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) in the context of its latest earnings report, highlighting both its strengths and potential challenges. While the bank reported a strong quarter driven by equities trading revenue, Cramer noted that activity in investment banking remains muted due to macro uncertainty. Here is his full analysis:
“Well, we need the buyback. Now, they did buy back 7 million shares with a $610 basis. You’re obviously nowhere near that. What Goldman excels at is helping clients in a time of turmoil. And they did great there, but net interest income was good too. But when you take a look at investment banking, look, they’re just debt underwriting. They’re just not making a lot of money in debt underwriting. […]
When you look at Goldman, what they’ve excelled at is not having a lot of people when things, individuals that aren’t good. I remember there was a quarter where I went downstairs to the 27th floor. The municipal bond floor. It was empty. It was empty!”
6. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 223
Cramer offered a multi-faceted take on NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), discussing its expanding manufacturing efforts in the U.S. and strategic significance to national security. While praising its technological dominance, he also highlighted the stock’s extreme volatility and its status as a speculative favorite among retail traders. Here’s everything he said:
“I mean, I see NVIDIA saying it plans to manufacture some AI chips in the U.S. and they’re doing some right now in Taiwan’s semi-foundries. What you have to do is you have to say, OK, listen, guys, you have to sacrifice some margin. […]
Also, I don’t know if you saw the notes about NVIDIA to manufacture America made AI supercomputer for US for the first time. Gigantic commitment of a half a trillion dollars. Interestingly enough, that’s the same amount that Apple committed, but people are a little suspicious of the White House about Apple. No one’s suspicious of NVIDIA because we don’t have those chips. NVIDIA’s in all the missiles. Get some checking on this. All the missiles are driven by NVIDIA chips. […]
NVIDIA was up big on Friday. I mean, I told, what I said in my tweet, the shorts will let it go up and then they will target it with zero-day options. I don’t know. I was looking at the amount of trading in NVIDIA. It’s a meme stock, OK? And that’s all it is right now. It has very little to do with the company.”
5. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 83
Jim Cramer gave his input on Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) following the company’s decision to sell a majority stake in Altera, a business it acquired in 2015. While critical of Intel’s past management, Cramer expressed trust in current leadership’s focus on fixing the balance sheet and revitalizing the company. Here’s his exact view:
“Well, Lip-Bu Tan, who’s the new CEO, whom I totally believe in, an unbelievable venture capitalist, who understands semis, did resign from the board last year, has told me, look, we have to fix it. Don’t get ahead of us, Jim. We have to fix the balance sheet. And you know what? That’s what he’s doing. Altera was something that, frankly, was a good company before Intel decided to drive it to the ground. I choose my words carefully. Because I didn’t say blast the kingdom come. And I think that what’s a shame is, is that it was a great American company. And then, see you later.”
4. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 150
Ahead of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)’s upcoming earnings release, Jim Cramer made an emphatic bullish prediction. He praised the company’s historical performance, consistency in exceeding expectations, and strategic consolidation efforts that strengthened its industry dominance. Here’s what he said:
“Yeah, it’s a better than expected. It’s a much better than expected quarter, and I’m raising numbers. Well, that’s all they ever do. I’ve never seen them not. Maybe one quarter in the last 10 years. It’s an amazing company. I remember I was long it in 1989 and made my whole year. This thing was just a juggernaut from day one. Remember when they bought everybody too? Remember the consolidation? That was a really good thing for the industry. There’s an opportunity here.”
3. Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 262
Discussing Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META)’s antitrust scrutiny, Cramer took a contrarian view, suggesting that even if the company were forced to break up, it could unlock more shareholder value. He also emphasized WhatsApp’s overlooked strength as a key asset within Meta’s portfolio. Here’s his commentary:
“I mean, all I know is that you break it up, you make even more money. It’s even better. I was on WhatsApp this weekend, David. That’s worth the price of the company. WhatsApp is a very powerful platform. Yeah, you have to hold it down and then you let it go and you talk into it and it’s just amazing. I’m all over it. Oh, I’m a WhatsApp guy. I have a lot of executives who really just, they come to me on WhatsApp.”
2. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 161
Jim Cramer commented on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)’s stock performance amid volatility in the semiconductor sector. He expressed frustration at the lack of institutional recognition despite strong fundamentals, suggesting the rally may be hindered by speculative trading behavior. Here is what he said:
“But look at Broadcom. Broadcom was up four in early morning trading. Now it’s barely up. That’s the short to say, you know what, we’ve let it come up. Now let’s just blast them down. What you need is some recognition from someone else besides the White House that these companies, that the orders are good. And we’re not going to really hear that because the orders may just be good because of pull forward. […]
I thought that Broadcom was going to be maybe the biggest winner today. They were going to just be, you know, Hock Tan and stock’s down a buck 70.”
1. ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW)
Number of Hedge Fund holders: 110
Cramer brought up ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW) while warning about potential cracks in the enterprise software space. Though he acknowledged the company’s strong track record and government business exposure, he cautioned that valuation and macro pressures could challenge its short-term performance. Here’s what he said:
“So ServiceNow, NOW, Wells cuts its price target. This is something that we haven’t talked about. These enterprise software companies, they’ve all been bubbling, people feel they are immune. This is one that says to me, be careful. There could be a slowing in enterprise software, too. Now, ServiceNow is a unique business. Some people say 13% with the federal government. Therefore, you’re running into DOGE. I just say ServiceNow has not missed their quarter. The last quarter was just OK. They will tell you it was great. But just be aware that if you want to hide enterprise software, it might be a harder place to hide it. And I just want to warn people that you don’t hide and hide multiple stocks. You hide in consistent growth, health care stocks, and companies that have nothing to do with anything that DOGE could be involved with. I understand DOGE is still very active.”
NOW is a stock Jim Cramer recently discussed. While we acknowledge the potential of NOW 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 time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NOW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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