On Monday’s episode of Mad Money, host Jim Cramer noted that corporate deal-making is beginning to gain momentum, even if the broader market and media have yet to give it the attention it deserves.
“They don’t start big, but we’re beginning to see deals, important ones, and they aren’t getting enough attention from the market or from the media, for that matter.”
READ ALSO: Jim Cramer’s Latest Thoughts on These 17 Stocks and 20 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar.
He expressed clear frustration and said, “If anything, on the eve of the unofficial start to earnings season, they’re being dismissed and that’s just plain stupid.” Cramer emphasized that these merger and acquisition activities are not just beneficial for investment banks involved in structuring the deals, but are positive indicators for the overall health of the stock market.
“Here’s the bottom line. You don’t get a wave of deals out of nowhere. You get a ripple and then ever bigger waves. Right now we’re in the ripple stage. That’s when it’s best to do some buying. By the way, even if you think brands like Maxwell House and Visine, and Corn Pops died years ago, don’t worry about it. They may not be exciting to you, but there are plenty of potential buyers who are excited about that, be happy to snap them up, and the regulators are no longer blocking every M&A deal under the sun. As we head into the bank earnings tomorrow, don’t think about the past with Washington leaning against every deal. Think about the future, where it looks like the government’s encouraging deals and is in no mood to get in the way of capitalism, at least the way we used to know it.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 17 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episodes of Mad Money aired on July 14. 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).
17 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar
17. Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer noted that it is the only crypto company in the S&P 500. He remarked:
“Finally, Coinbase means crypto. 52 million Americans have kept their crypto there, part of a hundred million users globally. It’s the only crypto company in the S&P 500, so it’s the perfect poster child for the group. Again, Coinbase, immensely profitable and at 40 times earnings, it’s actually the cheapest of the group. How can that be?”
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) provides a platform for buying, selling, and managing crypto assets, offering tools for consumers, institutions, and developers to engage with the crypto economy. In a June episode, Cramer said that the company is going higher.
“Next, Coinbase. Alright, the cryptocurrency stocks, they just never want to quit. And this is a group that matters, even if older portfolio managers don’t care [and] look the other way. I think this one’s going higher, to who knows where.”
16. Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 76
Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOOD) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer noted that the company is quite popular among the youth, as he said:
“Do I have to describe Robinhood to you? It’s an app. No, it’s a bank. No, it’s a repository of wealth of the millennials, whatever you want to call it. Robinhood has 25 million accounts, and it offers ETFs, options, gold, and crypto. It came out of nowhere. This company was worth $11 billion two years ago. Now it’s $88 billion. Again, incredibly profitable. Out of nowhere, it seems to have captured young people who would otherwise not bother to invest. You know what I say? Hallelujah.”
Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) provides a financial services platform for trading stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies, along with educational tools and cash management features. Cramer mentioned the company on July 11 and said:
“I want you to take out your cost basis. It’s had a major move. Robinhood has become what I call a meme stock. It means that it’s just done, it’s just trading off of enthusiasm right now. When I see trading off enthusiasm, what’s the matter with that?
Well, enthusiasm can cool. I like trading off of fundamentals. Now, Robinhood is doing well, but they have really, let’s say, become very big cheerleaders for themselves. Nothing the matter with that, but don’t get caught up in the hype. Take your cost basis out, and then we can deal with, let’s say, letting it run situation, but not until then.”
15. AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 96
AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer noted that the company has “no real competition.” He commented:
“AppLovin is a hugely profitable way for companies to advertise through mobile video games, which are typically free as long as you watch the ads. This company’s got software and AI solutions that make its model unassailable. They have no real competition. The revenue growth is stunning. It was a $10 billion company two years ago. Now it’s $120 billion, as this is the company that can get your ad in front of everyone who plays games on their phone. I know it’s richly valued. I don’t care. When you have no competition, well, guess what? You do pretty darn well.”
AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP) provides a software platform that supports app marketing, monetization, and distribution through advertising solutions, analytics tools, and connected TV services. The company also operates mobile games and offers tools for app developers and publishers.
14. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 77
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer shared quite a bullish sentiment toward the company stock, as he remarked:
“Palantir’s among the fastest-growing tech companies I can recall. It’s got a projected annual growth rate of 18 to 25% out to 2030 with a market capitalization of $352 billion. May not sound that impressive, two years ago it was $35 billion. What does Palantir do? I say, what doesn’t it do? You bring Palantir in to look at patterns to figure out how to run your business better. I’ve never heard anyone say that they aren’t terrific at what they do, making your company money almost the minute you bring them in. They’re also trying to make the Pentagon more efficient. But that’s a tall order. I hope they succeed. So should you.”
Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) develops software platforms that integrate, analyze, and operationalize complex data for intelligence, commercial, and enterprise applications. The company’s tools support decision-making, threat detection, and AI-powered operations across diverse environments.
13. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 77
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:PANW) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. A caller asked about the company stock during the lightning round. Cramer responded:
“I want to live in Palo Alto, and I want to own the stock of Palo Alto. That’s how I feel about it. Nikesh Arora, doing a fabulous job.”
Palo Alto (NASDAQ:PANW) provides cybersecurity solutions across network, cloud, and security operations, combining AI-driven platforms with threat intelligence and managed services. In February, Cramer said that he likes the company a lot, as he said:
“Really interesting question. Nikesh Arora put up a really good quarter. The headlines were out immediately. Before they even could read the release, sellers came in. Had they read the release, they would’ve realized it is fine. I like Palo Alto very much. It’s a great way to get involved in cybersecurity.”
12. The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the lightning round, a caller inquired about the stock, and Cramer replied:
“Yeah, but you know, you gotta look… away from the US to understand why ODP actually could be an okay situation. I’m not going to fight a six-time earnings stock as long as it’s making money. I think you’re okay. It’s an interesting spec.”
ODP (NASDAQ:ODP) provides business supplies, digital workplace solutions, and support services through retail, e-commerce, and distribution channels. The company’s products include office products, furniture, technology, and supply chain services for organizations of all sizes. Greenlight Capital stated the following regarding The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:
“We sold The ODP Corporation (NASDAQ:ODP) after three and a half years at a -13% IRR. We originally believed that while the retail business was deteriorating, the business-to-business unit was stable and quite valuable. Over the years, management spent a lot of money on growth initiatives that ultimately failed. More recently, the business-to-business unit showed deteriorating results. This surprised us, and after updating our field research, we concluded that ODP’s competitive position has deteriorated substantially. As such, we took our loss.”
11. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer discussed the firm’s acquisition of Veritex during the episode. He commented:
“This morning, we had a real bank merger, one of my favorites, Huntington Bancshares, the Ohio-based regional bank, announced that it’s buying the Texas-based regional bank Veritex in an all-stock deal that values the target just under $2 billion. Now, in the grand scheme of things, and this is a small transaction, I didn’t even know Veritex, but it helps Huntington grow in Texas, a market where it was already expanding aggressively.
Plus, the company also pre-announced most of the key lines of its second quarter earnings report… Look, numbers look pretty darn good. When you back out some one-time items, Huntington posted solid earnings with better-than-expected net interest income and fine-looking credit quality metrics.”
Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:HBAN) provides a broad range of commercial, consumer, and mortgage banking services, along with wealth management, lending, and digital financial solutions.
10. Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ZBH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ZBH) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer discussed the company’s latest acquisition announcement and commented:
“We got some sizable deals today across a bunch of different industries and some smaller ones too, like Zimmer Biomet, the medical device maker, announcing its plan to pay nearly $200 million upfront for Monogram Technologies, an orthopedics robot company with a set of semi-autonomous and fully autonomous robotic technologies that will be used to improve Zimmer’s main robotics platform called Rosa Robotics. I like this because the robotics surgery space is one of the most interesting corners of the healthcare sector.”
Zimmer Biomet (NYSE:ZBH) develops and markets medical technologies and orthopedic products used to treat bone, joint, and soft tissue conditions. The company’s portfolio includes implants, surgical tools, and digital health solutions. Oakmark Equity and Income Fund stated the following regarding Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ZBH) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter:
“Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:ZBH) is a leading medical device company and a pure play in orthopedics. In our view, orthopedics is an attractive product category that should benefit from long-term tailwinds stemming from an aging population, greater activity levels among seniors and increased adoption of specialized robotics that improve surgical efficiency. In addition, market share within the space tends to be sticky, as physicians are typically trained to use leading brands like Zimmer Biomet, reinforcing long-standing brand loyalty. New management recently completed several multi-year initiatives that we think will streamline operations and reinvigorate product innovation. The market has yet to ascribe value to these improvements, providing the opportunity to initiate a position in a dominant, growing company at a discounted valuation to peers and the broader market.”
9. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 64
CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer mentioned that he is impressed by the recovery of the company after last year’s outages.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity play that we owned for the Charitable Trust, accidentally caused widespread computer outages, the faulty file update, not a hack, like a file update that sent millions of systems offline, halting businesses across the globe. Now, fast forward today, though, and it’s like the outage never happened. Not only is CrowdStrike stock up more than 135% from its post-outage lows, it’s up almost 40% from where it was trading before the outage. That’s because cybersecurity is essential, and this particular cybersecurity firm is incredibly well run and loved in the industry. I’ve never seen such a rapid executed turnaround.”
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions through a subscription model, protecting endpoints, identities, data, and workloads. The company’s platform includes threat detection, security management, and AI-driven automation tools.
8. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 139
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. A caller mentioned the stock and said that he’s “in the house of pain” because of it, and asked Cramer about what he should do with it. He replied:
“UnitedHealth is very, very tricky, and it might be a long-term turn, but I will tell you this, Steve Hemsley is the only person I know who could possibly turn this thing around. Hemsley’s back as CEO, he was amazing. I think you have to have fortitude to be in it. I don’t like the situation because there’s so many winners, as you say, but at least I want people to know that I think Hemsley’s is the real deal.”
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH) provides health benefits, care delivery, pharmacy services, and healthcare technology solutions through a broad portfolio of medical and digital offerings. The company’s services support individuals, employers, providers, and government programs.
7. Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48
Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, when a caller inquired about the stock, Cramer responded:
“Oh, I think WYNN, you know, we were, we were at Wynn earlier this year, and I was very worried about China. I still am, but my, they’ve got a good thing going. Craig Billings is such a good manager. He’s actually terrific, and I’m glad to see that stock is finally starting to move. It’s still very inexpensive on a PE basis.”
Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) develops and operates luxury integrated resorts featuring casinos, hotels, dining, retail, entertainment, and convention spaces. In a March episode of Squawk on the Street, Cramer praised the company’s CEO as he said:
“Notice, look at this, WYNN is up 3.7. Look I gotta tell you, you want impressive, go to this guy. . .Craig Billings. . .I think he’s one of the most impressive CEOs. He’s from Goldman, he’s a genius.”
6. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 77
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer discussed the stock’s recent downgrade by Citizens JMP. He remarked:
“These M&A deals are incredibly lucrative for the banks that orchestrate them. The results won’t necessarily be seen this quarter, so I can see why Citizens JMP, a brokerage house, might take Goldman Sachs from Buy to Hold. Goldman reports Wednesday, and you won’t see the bump in numbers from the deal market yet.
However, these… July deals are a terrific harbinger for the fall. You don’t usually get a lot of deals during the summer, and I don’t think it makes sense to sell Goldman here and then try to get back in it later. Good luck. Even if they miss the quarter on Wednesday, it’s not going to stay down for long. I’m clearly not alone as the stock actually rallied more than eight bucks today despite this downgrade.”
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) provides financial advisory, investment management, and banking services across a broad range of asset classes and client needs. The company’s services include M&A advisory, lending, trading, wealth management, and digital financial platforms.
5. Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer discussed the company’s performance post-Becton Dickinson deal. He said:
“Any one of the majors will be thrilled to snap some of these brands because there’s very little organic growth in the industry. The only way you can have any growth is buy it. Alright, now, how about this merger today between Becton Dickinson, this was the Life Science and Diagnostic division, which had been shopped extensively, and Waters, a really strong company, we’ve had them on, a dominant player in exactly those fields.
The deal was done in a very confusing Reverse Morris Trust way, which is one of those tax-saving situations that the Street almost always hates, but the CEOs think it’s so smart, and they hate it because they aren’t easy. They’re, they’re not clean. The merger was greeted with horrors for Waters, which saw its stock plunge 13.5%. That’s part of the greeting. It shouldn’t have been down that much, but people didn’t understand it.”
Waters (NYSE:WAT) provides analytical instruments and software for applications in chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis. The company’s solutions support research, quality assurance, and testing across pharmaceutical, environmental, and industrial sectors.
4. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54
Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer mentioned the stock in light of its recent deal with Waters, as he commented:
“Any one of the majors will be thrilled to snap some of these brands because there’s very little organic growth in the industry. The only way you can have any growth is buy it. Alright, now, how about this merger today between Becton Dickinson, this was the Life Science and Diagnostic division, which had been shopped extensively, and Waters, a really strong company, we’ve had them on, a dominant player in exactly those fields. The deal was done in a very confusing Reverse Morris Trust way, which is one of those tax-saving situations that the Street almost always hates, but the CEOs think it’s so smart, and they hate it because they aren’t easy.
They’re, they’re not clean…. Becton Dickinson’s getting a 39.2% stake in the newly combined Waters, yet after selling off this morning, the stock actually finished in the black. It seemed like a great deal to me, especially because the company got $4 billion in cash and assumed $4 billion in debt. Really good deal for Becton Dickinson. But again, it’s hard to get your head around. So it didn’t bring out many buyers, at least not today. Believe me, that will change…”
Becton, Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) manufactures medical devices, supplies, and diagnostic products used across healthcare, research, and clinical settings. The company’s products support drug delivery, lab testing, surgical procedures, and patient monitoring.
3. Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 52
Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer discussed the company’s recent management change. He remarked:
“Consider Kenvue. Two years ago, this company was spun off by Johnson & Johnson, which just wanted to unload its fantastic consumer business… The company picked this fellow, Thibaut Mongon, and he’s the leader of, he was the leader of J&J’s Consumer Health division… We learned today that he was sacked after activist pressure, and Kirk Perry, a current director, was named interim CEO. Kenvue also announced a strategic review… That’s what we’re hoping will happen at Kraft Heinz.
Is this shocking? Was it amazing that Kenvue already got rid of the CEO in two years? Well, yes, if you saw the numbers. Kenvue reported minus 4% organic growth, and Wall Street was expecting plus 2 to 4%. But I bring this up because more deals are coming in that space… I’m extremely confident that someone will want some of Kenvue, if not all of Kenvue, because those brands grow slowly, but if you put a bunch of them together, you might have something that Wall Street gets very excited about.”
Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) develops and markets consumer health products across self-care, skin health, and essential health categories.
2. WK Kellogg Co (NYSE:KLG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
WK Kellogg Co (NYSE:KLG) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. Cramer discussed the recent acquisition of the company by Ferrero, as he commented:
“Here’s what’s amazing, though, people now think these brands have no value, but you know what? That’s what they said about WK Kellogg. The cereal business, when it split with Kellanova, the fast-growing part of the Kellogg family, which of course got a bid until the serial acquirer couldn’t, couldn’t resist… Serial acquirer Ferrero stepped up and paid $3.1 billion for the maker of Fruit Loops and Cornflakes.
That was some deal last week. It was amazing. Sure, it’s supposed to be a nightmare in a world where the Health and Human Services Secretary, RFK Junior’s on a crusade against food coloring, but it was a dream come true for Ferrero, which just spent $13 billion in 10 years to expand around the globe. They don’t want to be just a small Italian company.”
Kellogg (NYSE:KLG) manufactures and markets ready-to-eat cereals under established brand names. The company distributes its products through various retail and online channels.
1. The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 46
The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar. During the episode, Cramer discussed the future possibilities of the company. He said:
“I mean, you could see… Kraft Heinz. It’s reportedly breaking up soon. People are yawning. So what, so what they’re saying, big deal. I say, no, that is dead wrong. The company’s said to be planning to keep its faster-growing brands, like maybe Heinz Ketchup, a lot of new derivatives there… Philadelphia Cream Cheese, while separating the brands with the slowest growth, like Oscar Mayer packaged foods, Velveeta cheese.
The deal putting Heinz and Kraft together sounded like a match made in heaven in 2015. How could it fail? Great name brands orchestrated by Warren Buffett and the brilliant people from 3G Capital, the uber successful Brazilian private equity firm… But then people stopped going to the center aisles of the supermarket, and that spelled trouble for Oscar Mayer, for Jell-O, for Miracle Whip, for Maxwells, for Velveeta, which apparently can survive thermonuclear war, and Cheez Whiz…
Here’s what’s amazing, though, people now think these brands have no value, but you know what? That’s what they said about WK Kellogg. The cereal business, when it split with Kellanova, the fast-growing part of the Kellogg family, which of course got a bid until the serial acquirer couldn’t, couldn’t resist… Serial acquirer Ferrero stepped up and paid $3.1 billion for the maker of Fruit Loops and cornflakes. That was some deal last week. It was amazing… My feeling is that if Giovanni Ferrero sees value in Fruit Loops, he might see some value in some of the Kraft Heinz brands too.”
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) develops and sells a broad portfolio of food and beverage products under its brands and distributes them through retail, foodservice, and online channels.
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