On Wednesday’s episode of Mad Money, host Jim Cramer addressed the market’s reaction to the Federal Reserve’s decision to hold interest rates steady, a move that left many investors and even President Donald Trump frustrated.
“See, there’s this camp, I’m going to call them an ill-informed segment… that somehow expects a surprise from the Fed, like a rate cut when it’s least expected… How can they be disappointed about something we saw coming?”
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Cramer reflected on Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s caution and noted that despite acknowledging weakening signals in the economy, from a cooling consumer to underwhelming housing data, Powell opted not to act. He mentioned that Powell’s reluctance makes sense, saying, “By historical standards. It would be kind of crazy for the Fed to cut rates here.”
Cramer emphasized that the uncertainty about the future is precisely why Powell avoided making any strong forward-looking statements. He pointed out that even the Federal Reserve does not seem confident enough to take decisive action yet. Meanwhile, he noted, the pressure from Trump is unlikely to ease.
Cramer then asked, “What does all of this have to do with your portfolio?” He answered that in his view, the Fed’s stance acted like a damper on roughly three-quarters of the S&P 500. He added, “If the broader market’s going to keep climbing, and we want it to so badly, I think we do need lower rates.”
“The bottom line: I think this market fell apart today because the Fed seems reluctant to give us that rate cut backstop. I didn’t get the sense of the so-called inevitability of rate cuts that I felt from the last two Fed meetings. Judging by the action, not many others did, either.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 13 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episodes of Mad Money aired on July 30. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the first quarter of 2025, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 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).
13 Stocks Jim Cramer Shared His Views On
13. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 78
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. Cramer discussed the stock in detail during the episode, as he said:
“Everything’s changed since COVID, but we just keep acting like it hasn’t. We always seem surprised when we hear that higher prices are hurting demand and a company isn’t doing that well. That’s how I felt about the plummeting price of Chipotle stock. I was checking it out after talking with Brian Niccol, the current CEO of Starbucks, who came over from Chipotle about a year ago. When Brian left, the stock was at 56. The S&P 500 was at 5,648. Now the stock’s at 43 and change. Well, the S&P’s at 6,362. Well, what’s happened here? It’s not the in-store experience. Chipotle’s the same place it was always. It’s just gotten a lot more expensive…
Look, I’m not trying to pick on Chipotle, and I recognize those prices are all over the map given their crowdsourced nature. So many restaurants, so many kinds of stores, so many homes, so much entertainment… the same problem. But to not relate Chipotle’s stock price to what’s happening with the prices, well, that’s just fanciful. The consumer’s just paying a lot more, and nobody likes that.”
Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) operates fast-casual restaurants serving customizable Mexican-inspired meals, including burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads.
12. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 46
KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. A caller asked if Cramer thinks that the company will be bought out soon. Here’s what he had to say:
“You know what? That’s an interesting question, but we had Chris Gorman on, and Chris was also on another show recently. I don’t think they’re in any, I think they’re in expansion mode. I don’t think they’re in sell mode, and, but I don’t mind owning the stock at all, especially with that 4.5% yield.”
KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) provides retail and commercial banking services, including lending, investment management, and wealth advisory solutions. Moreover, the company offers capital markets, institutional trust, and investment banking services through its KeyBank brand. When a caller asked for advice on the stock in a February episode, Cramer responded:
“Okay, so Jeff Marks and I were kicking things around. I said, we gotta own more banks… and I said, how about Key for the Charitable Trust because of that dividend? You’re onto something. I like your thinking. We had Chris Gorman on. Seems like a terrific guy.”
Since the above comment, the company stock is up around 7% at the time of writing.
11. Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. A caller asked if it is a good time to get into the stock, and in response, Cramer said:
“Okay, the problem with Micron is it’s got two businesses. It’s got high bandwidth memory, which goes into, yes, the data center, NVIDIA, and then it’s got DRAM, plain old DRAM. DRAM pricing has not been good, which is why the stock dropped from the 130s all the way back to where it is. I would say this, I think you buy a little bit here, but we do need to see DRAM pricing go back up before you get a lot of good pin action in that stock.”
Micron (NASDAQ:MU) produces memory and storage solutions, including DRAM and NAND products for data centers, mobile devices, automotive, and consumer electronics. The company’s solutions are sold under the Micron and Crucial brands, along with private labels.
10. Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 145
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. During the lightning round, a caller called the company a “cash flow juggernaut”, and Cramer commented:
“Okay, stock’s up, stock’s up 45%. I got so many, I got a lot of stocks that are down. Those are the ones that gotta wake up. I think Uber’s going to $200. I just say you go buy more here. That’s the only solution that I see.”
Uber (NYSE:UBER) operates platforms for ridesharing, food and retail delivery, and freight logistics, connecting users with transportation, merchants, and shipping services. On July 23, a caller inquired about the stock, and Cramer replied:
“Isn’t this interesting? Think about what you asked. This is the kind of thing that is fascinating to me. Now, Peter (the caller) asked, should he stay or should he sell? But you know what he should be doing? [buy, buy, buy] He should be buying. That’s the kind of skepticism I like, healthy skepticism, but the stock is worth buying right here.”
9. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 90
Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. Cramer mentioned the company and praised its earnings during the episode, as he said:
“This morning, we got some excellent results from Vertiv Holdings. That’s the maker of specialized power and cooling equipment for the data center, which has been a phenomenal winner over the past few years. The company reported numbers that came in well ahead of expectations in nearly every line. Sales up 35% year over year, 12% earnings beat off an 83-cent basis. Even better, Vertiv issued a strong outlook for the current quarter and raised its full-year forecast. It has very strong backlog, too.
However, after being up nearly $11 at one point today, that’s like 8% in early trading, the stock gave back essentially all those gains throughout the course of today’s trading session. But like I said, at the top of the show, what mattered is the Fed, and that somehow interfered even with this great company. I’m not too worried because this feels like a normal profit-taking day in a stock that, at its highs, was up 186% from its post-Liberation Day lows.”
Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) provides critical infrastructure solutions for data centers and industrial environments, including power, thermal, and IT management systems.
8. General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. A caller asked if Cramer has shifted his stance on the company, and he replied:
“Yeah, I’ve gone from here to here, meaning, no, not much stance changed at all. Here’s the problem: This is one of those companies that, frankly, is part of what I talk about as being in the heart of the inflation complex. They’ve got food that costs too much, they have input costs that cost too much, and they’re going to have to sacrifice their profit margin and bring their food price down, or else they’re not going to do the business that they used to do, and no one wants to cut their margins. They’re afraid about what will happen in the stock market, but all that’s going to happen, the stock’s going to go down anyway.”
General Mills (NYSE:GIS) produces and markets a broad portfolio of packaged foods across meals, snacks, baking, and dairy, along with pet food products. Some of the major brands in its portfolio include Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, and Blue Buffalo.
7. Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 93
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. When a caller expressed worry over the stock price action, Cramer remarked:
“Well, you know what, I am glad you called me on Costco. I was just, I was actually kind of mulling over this one with Jeff Marks, my colleague on the club, and I have to tell you, I am sick and tired of the stock going down. People feel 51 times earnings is too expensive. I think that’s wrong. I think they’re doing everything right. Every check indicates to me that it’s time to start buying some if you don’t have any, and if you have some, perhaps you should buy some more.”
Costco (NASDAQ:COST) operates membership-based warehouse stores that provide branded and private-label goods across grocery, general merchandise, and specialty services. In addition, the company offers e-commerce, fuel, pharmacy, and travel services under the Costco brand. When a caller inquired about the company stock on July 17, Cramer responded:
“No, look, here’s the problem with Costco: It is a victim of its own success. All it really does is ever go up and then has these periods where it languishes. We’re in the languish period. That’s when you buy Costco. Do I think Costco’s in trouble at 50 times earnings? Are you kidding me? I think Costco’s, I still think Costco may be… one of the top five companies of all time. That is no slight to Jensen Huang because he’s number one.”
6. Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 70
Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. Cramer said that he found the company’s earnings to be “pretty encouraging,” despite weaker-than-expected numbers. He remarked:
“Even though the headline numbers were weaker than expected, I found the overall results to be pretty encouraging. Keep in mind, Starbucks has been a long-term holding for my Charitable Trust, not always a good holding, but for the past year, ever since they poached Brian Niccol from Chipotle to take over as CEO, stock’s been doing much better…
When the company reported in late April, they posted a top and bottom line miss with some of their worst numbers coming from the United States business, sparking fears that the turnaround could be further out than we thought. Now, look, I remain a believer. I told investing club members to be a big buyer, but things did feel pretty grim…
And that’s what I found most encouraging about the Starbucks quarter, management’s plan for improving the core business here at home. They’re already showing some really promising results… At the end of the day, nothing else matters for Starbucks if it can’t turn the US business around. Now, they’ve gotten a proven way to make that happen. There was plenty of other positive news too…
… Putting it all together, I think it was a very positive quarter, even if the stock was all over the map today. I didn’t want to take my cue from the stock. It seemed to have more to do with the Federal Reserve. Well, that’s a little ridiculous. But don’t worry about these short-term swings, which were kind of a microcosm of the stock’s whole first year under Niccol’s leadership. Focus on what matters, the long-term turnaround plan, which is going well ahead of schedule. The bottom line: If Brian Niccol keeps delivering on the turnaround front, I bet Starbucks and its shareholders will be huge winners. That’s still my expectation here, and I feel even better about it tonight than I did last night before the company reported.”
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) operates as a global coffee retailer and brand. It offers beverages, food items, and packaged products through company-operated and licensed locations.
5. V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. During the episode, Cramer praised the company’s CEO as he said:
“Has V.F. Corp finally gotten its groove back? This footwear and apparel company, you know it as maybe Vans or North Face, Timberland, reported a magnificent quarter this morning. The stock’s at least shot up 3% today, though, was up much more earlier, you know what the Fed did. Here’s a stock that’s been a real dog for a long time, frankly, but two years ago, the board brought in Bracken Darrell, formerly the CEO of Logitech, to turn things around, and now it looks like he’s starting to pull it off.”
V.F. (NYSE:VFC) designs and markets branded apparel, footwear, and accessories across outdoor, active, and workwear categories. The company’s portfolio includes labels like The North Face, Vans, Timberland, and Dickies. During a May episode, Cramer said that the company stock “might be worth taking a position.” He commented:
“How about a flyer? How about VF Corp? Now listen to me. The apparel company fumbled last time, I get that, but CEO Bracken Darrell, you may remember him from Logitech, he’s a great operator. I bet he’s too competitive to let a second debacle happen. Might be worth taking a position and build it in any weakness.”
4. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. A caller asked Cramer’s take on the company and its foundry, and he replied:
“Okay, the foundry was ill-advised. You’re right, we need them in the country, but they are not necessarily profitable, and Intel, the previous CEO, was spending far too much on them. We have a new CEO at Intel. The CEO’s name is Lip-Bu Tan, and he totally understands everything I just mentioned about foundries. He did make me feel that a turn is not yet at hand; it’s still a little too early. If you started buying here, I think you’re going to be able to just kind of break even versus so many others, including my favorite NVIDIA.”
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) develops and supplies computing products, including processors, chips, and hardware solutions for AI, networking, and storage. Moreover, the company provides semiconductor technologies and platforms supporting cloud, edge, and autonomous systems.
3. On Holding AG (NYSE:ONON)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 53
On Holding AG (NYSE:ONON) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. Answering a caller’s query about the stock, Cramer said:
“You know, let me tell you something, the reason why I like the stock is that they have adjusted every time that there’s been a problem. Roger Federer and his team have adjusted, and I think that if there’s really something that’s lasting and negative, they will fix it, which is one of the reasons why I do like On. I am concerned that Nike may be making a comeback and take business from On, but I think On is a decent buy here.”
On Holding (NYSE:ONON) designs and markets performance-oriented footwear, apparel, and accessories for running, training, outdoor use, and everyday wear. Cramer called the company stock “a great buy” during a February episode, as he commented:
“Okay, I think On is a great buy. I think it’s got the momentum, but understand when you say longer term, I get a little nervous because sneakers, unless, you know, look what happened [with] even Nike longer term. I think On is a hot sneaker. I think it’s gonna stay hot for another year and then we have to revisit. But I think you’ve got upside on every single pullback on On.”
Since the above comment was made, the stock is down over 13% at the time of writing.
2. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 284
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. While discussing the company’s earnings, Cramer highlighted that it “reported a monster top and bottom line beat,” as he said:
“Tonight, we found out the smoke’s coming from Meta and Microsoft… Meanwhile, Microsoft also reported a monster top and bottom line beat with tremendous strength in their Azure cloud infrastructure business, many people think that’s the most important division, where growth accelerated from 35% to 39% in just three months. This is a huge business. That’s incredible. Their AI business is on fire, too. The scale of the sales and earnings beat here were pretty staggering.
I am shocked at the strength we’re seeing here. Microsoft, like Meta, is spending fortunes on hardware and software, and it just keeps paying off. As always, we have to wait until the Microsoft earnings call, which is ongoing, to get the company’s forecast and thus the full story. But the numbers that reported for this quarter, they are incredible. But these two core Magnificent Seven companies do not relate much to anything that Jay Powell’s talking about. As I called them, they are nation-states of their own.”
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) develops software, cloud platforms, business applications, and operating systems for consumers and enterprises. The company also provides devices, gaming products, and digital advertising solutions.
1. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 273
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his views on. Cramer discussed the company’s latest earnings during the episode. He remarked:
“Tonight, we found out the smoke’s coming from Meta and Microsoft. Coming into earnings, the Street was worried that Mark Zuckerberg might be paying too much for talent, but when we looked at the numbers, we had to laugh. Like a great baseball team owner, Zuckerberg can overpay all he wants. Meta’s winning the championships for these numbers, which were sharply better than even the most bullish of Meta’s amen chorus.
Plus, they gave us an amazingly strong forecast, much higher than expected revenue, with their capital expenditure budget coming in at the low end. Of course, what does that have to do with the Fed, right?… But these two core Magnificent Seven companies do not relate much to anything that Jay Powell’s talking about. As I called them, they are nation-states of their own.”
Meta (NASDAQ:META) develops technologies and applications that enable digital communication and interaction across social networks, messaging platforms, and immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality.
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