We recently published a list of 9 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) stands against other stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar.
On Monday, Mad Money host Jim Cramer drew a parallel to 2011 and argued that what we are seeing is another crisis that feels manufactured, one he believes could be resolved just as easily as it was created, “with the stroke of a pen,” as he described it.
“Could this be another earnings season that simply doesn’t matter because there are bigger forces at work that are going to crush the entire market? It’s happened before, back in 2011.”
READ ALSO Jim Cramer’s Thoughts on These 5 Stocks and Jim Cramer’s Game Plan for Next Week: 25 Stocks in Focus
Cramer pointed out that the market has opened lower nearly every day, not because of disappointing earnings, those, he said, have largely held up, except in the case of companies with significant exposure to China, which he described as now being a liability for American businesses. He emphasized that the situation is not being driven by corporate fundamentals but by factors outside of earnings. He added:
“At least this time, the problem’s about America itself. As the president begins to create a constitutional crisis over the potential firing of Jay Powell while Congress once again deals with the interminable debt crisis, I think we can expect another ratings agency to begin the discussion of a debt downgrade.”
According to Cramer, investors should begin to accept the reality of a market that drops every morning, regardless of how strong earnings might be. The dominant forces in the environment, he insisted, are not balance sheets or profit margins. He remarked that the current period will be shaped by discussions around tariffs and the ongoing threats to remove Jerome Powell from his position. He added:
“Unfortunately, this time, the United States is not a safe haven as other countries appear much more stable and our bonds act squirrelly, almost as if they’re anticipating another painful debt downgrade. Ironic. We could get much higher yields because a president wants them to be lower in the worst way. The worst way being to poke fun, to ride, chide, and make life hell for a man who has served our country well, and I think deserves better.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 9 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on April 21. 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).
A fleet of cars parked at a car rental company’s headquarters, symbolizing the company’s commitment to servicing its customers.
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 35
When a caller mentioned that investor Bill Ackman started a sizeable position in Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ), Cramer said:
“Okay, well, you know, I don’t know what Bill Ackman’s going to do because it’s, I don’t know him, and all I can tell you is that the stock’s had a very big run. It’s not a great company. I’ve seen great people befell by the stock. So I think you could take the money and run and be, or at least take out your cost basis. How about that? And let the rest ride. That would be the most prudent thing to do.”
Hertz Global (NASDAQ:HTZ) is a vehicle rental company offering services under the Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty brands. It also sells vehicles and provides additional services through various locations worldwide. On April 17, BofA highlighted that after Pershing Square disclosed in a Form 13F that it held 4.1% of HTZ shares at the end of 2024, CNBC later reported that the firm had increased its stake to 19.8% through shares and swaps.
BofA suggested that Pershing Square’s investment could provide much-needed capital for the company. If the rise in Hertz Global’s (NASDAQ:HTZ) shares holds, it could give the company more options to tap into equity markets. However, BofA still believes the company will need to raise over $500 million in capital, given its forecasted free cash flow usage of around $920 million in 2025 and $300 million in 2026. The firm maintained an Underperform rating on Hertz with a price target of $2.70.
Overall, HTZ ranks 7th on our list of stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. While we acknowledge the potential of HTZ 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 timeframe. 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 HTZ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.