In this piece, we will look at the stocks Jim Cramer discussed.
In a recent appearance on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Jim Cramer discussed sentiment among business leaders when it came to the Trump administration’s policies. The CNBC TV host remarked that the sentiment among the executives appeared to be quite different from what was being shared on the record versus off the record:
“Right I think that there is a tone, they’re speaking with a lot of terrific CEOs on the record, I speak with a lot of CEOs a little more off the record. And there is a sense of relief, but there’s also a sense of, it’s a little unreal, that this is American hegemony once again. I mean you read these articles, New York Times basically says, we are losing our place. And Wall Street Journal, that China is passing us. The execs I see are saying, hey listen, you know, win one, another one, let’s move on to the next. He’s speaking for us, we’ve got the year made. And then you try to go, deep record, and keep saying, but isn’t there an absurdity to it. Isn’t there something about, when you look at Greenland, that it was an overreach, Cuba about to go. David, no one will go, no one will say it to me. No one will say, you know what Jim, it is an interesting time. They don’t even give you interesting time, I think it’s important to point out.”
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 January 22nd and tweeted about. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the third quarter of 2025, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 978 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 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
13. Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING)
Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 39
Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) is a fast food restaurant chain that specializes in selling wings. Its shares are down by 7.2% over the past year and are up by 5.7% year-to-date. As the month kicked off, Stifel discussed the shares and cut the share price target to $290 from $300 and maintained a Buy rating. The financial firm pointed out that the restaurant industry was facing headwinds that could affect the company. Along with Stifel, Barclays also discussed Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING)’s shares. However, it increased the share price target to $335 from $295 and kept an Overweight rating on the shares. Barclays commented that the headwinds in the restaurant industry could lead to quick-service restaurants gaining an edge over fast casual and traditional restaurants. Mizuho also lowered Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING)’s share price target in January. It reduced the target to $310 from $320 and maintained an Overweight rating. Cramer briefly commented on the stock on the 25th and outlined that it was “too tough a call” with “too cavalier a management.”
Alger Small Cap Focus Fund also discussed Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter:
“Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:WING) is a global restaurant brand best known for its cooked to-order, hand-sauced chicken wings. The company operates just over 2,000 locations worldwide, with most in the United States. Wingstop delivered strong fiscal second-quarter results, exceeding expectations despite facing tough comparisons from prior years. Sales momentum was supported by several factors, including new menu offerings, increased marketing, and continued growth in digital ordering, all of which have boosted brand awareness and profitability. However, shares declined later in the quarter following reports of softer sales trends, as the restaurant industry has experienced a growth slowdown due to broad based consumer price aversion and a rotation towards food-at-home. Despite the near-term industry slowdown, we continue to view Wingstop favorably for its long-term growth potential and near-term catalysts, including the rollout of Smart Kitchen initiatives and an enhanced loyalty program.”
12. Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 50
Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) is a technology company that provides a language learning platform. The shares have lost 52% over the past year and are down 11% year-to-date. Cramer has discussed Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) several times over the past months, and his opinions have varied. For instance, in September, he commented that while he would sell the shares, the stock was “too good” to short. Yet, in November, the CNBC TV host remarked that “I don’t know why you need Duolingo.” Despite Cramer’s caution, Morgan Stanley kept an optimistic tone about Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) in January. The bank reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares and cut the share price target to $275 from $300. The investment bank commented that for Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL), like for other internet companies, it will be important to leverage AI in 2026. Cramer mentioned the stock in a tweet on January 25th. He mentioned the share price movement and remarked that Duolingo Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) was “oversold.” Yet, Cramer added that he feared “Apple and Meta translation aides” and liked both products.
