In this article, we will look at the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. The host of CNBC’s Mad Money said Wednesday that semiconductor companies are now driving the market while software companies have moved into the background.
The enterprise software cohort, once prized for its high growth and lucrative gross margins, is now growing much more slowly than the physical side of tech: semiconductors, hardware, the tools that allow for the artificial intelligence revolution… What’s working are the hardware stocks that power the data center and the soon-to-be-public artificial intelligence titans like OpenAI and Anthropic.
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Cramer said artificial intelligence is not going to force software companies out of business, but it is weakening the dominance software companies once enjoyed. He explained that AI is reducing the pricing power that many of those companies relied on, as firms like Anthropic are showing businesses that they can create similar coding solutions without paying the same premium prices that software providers historically commanded.
It is a new era, people. Semis are now in charge. Software’s taking a backseat. The biggest company is NVIDIA because it’s changed the world, especially the software world, with artificial intelligence and accelerated computing. Those companies that seem purpose-built for NVIDIA are disrupting the old world led by Microsoft, but including so many others, almost none of which will admit they’re in trouble… Here’s the bottom line: The world has changed. It’s fluid, but we’re not going back to the way things were. Not now, not ever.
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 5 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on May 20. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them.
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 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
5 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Radar: NVIDIA, Astera Labs, and the Importance of Semiconductor Stocks
5. Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX)
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) was one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. A caller sought Cramer’s opinion of the stock, and he replied, “Equinix, yes, it’s a great, it’s a great way to play the data center.”
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) provides digital infrastructure and data center services that enable global connectivity and digital experiences. It is worth noting that when a caller inquired about the stock on November 4, 2025, Cramer said:
No, no… it’s expensive. Your read on it is correct. I find other ways to be able to play cloud and data center that are better, and I think that have, to me, have more certainty to it. So I think you’ve made the right move. No need to put more money in Equinix. As far as I’m concerned, it’s okay, and I like to do better than okay.
4. Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR)
Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR) was one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. Answering a caller’s query about the stock during the lightning round, Cramer said:
I know Xometry’s growing like a weed. I’m going to invite Xometry on. I don’t know them well enough to opine on the company, but I do know that it’s in the right space. Let’s get them on the show.
Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR) provides an AI-driven marketplace that connects buyers with manufacturing suppliers. It offers instant quoting, collaboration tools, cloud-based workflow solutions, and industrial sourcing services. The company also supports a wide range of manufacturing and production capabilities, including CNC machining, injection molding, 3D printing, sheet cutting, casting, prototyping, and finishing services. Liberty Park Fund stated the following regarding Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR) in its third quarter 2025 investor letter:
Xometry, Inc. (NASDAQ:XMTR) reported another better-than-expected quarter and continued >40% growth in its enterprise business. We remain positive on the company’s long-term onshoring and network potential, but we have taken some profits as the shares have soared.
3. V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC)
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) was one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. Discussing the company’s recently reported quarter, Cramer said:
What… happened to the stock of V.F. Corp, the apparel company, you know as the North Face, Vans, Timberland, among many other brands? This morning, the company reported what I thought was a terrific set of results. Stock surged in pre-market trading, but their outlook was basically in line, and the stock got slammed. It finished today down 3%. You know what? I think this could be a fantastic buying opportunity.
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) designs and sells branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for all ages. The company features famous brands like The North Face, Vans, and Timberland. Curreen Capital stated the following regarding V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC) in its fourth quarter 2025 investor letter:
V.F. Corporation (NYSE:VFC): VF Corp manages apparel brands, including The North Face, Timberland, and Vans. The company has fixed its balance sheet, improved capital allocation, and rebuilt its management team in an effort to return the business to growth. I believe that the company has good brands, the skills to manage them well, and a management team that can handle the challenges that the company faces. VF Corp currently trades at an attractive upside-to-downside ratio.
2. Astera Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALAB)
Astera Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALAB) was one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. When a caller mentioned that they are playing with the “house’s money,” Cramer said:
Well then… we have nothing to worry about. You’re playing with the house’s money. You can never lose money. You can make a lot of money. I say you hold on. Be very happy. As always, you’re one of my smartest, if not smartest, of our incredibly smart cohort of viewers, and you’ve done this thing very right. I say you stand pat with what’s left. That’s what we’re trying to do with the club. It’s so hard, but we take out our money, we win.
Astera Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALAB) develops semiconductor-based connectivity solutions and software for cloud and AI infrastructure. The company’s products include intelligent connectivity platforms, smart retimers, cable modules, memory controllers, and system management software.
1. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) was one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s radar as he highlighted that semiconductor and AI infrastructure stocks are currently in charge. Cramer was bullish on the company and its recently reported quarter as he said:
… We talk hardware, the biggest part of that is the company just reported tonight that seems to not be able to get out of its own way right now, which is NVIDIA. Now, I’ve been pounding the table on NVIDIA since it was trading at a split-adjusted price of just under four bucks. I’ve never hidden my belief in the company and its team led by Jensen Huang. NVIDIA just reported after the close, delivering another steady set of numbers, revenue growing 85% year over year, $81.6 billion, beating expectations by nearly $3 billion. Most of the growth came from the company’s core data center business, with hyperscale revenues up 115% versus the prior year and up sequentially, while AI cloud, industrial, and enterprise revenue grew 74% from the prior year. The company’s gross margins were in line. Oh, maybe people don’t like that. And NVIDIA had an 11-cent bottom line beat off a $1.76 basis. Free cash flow came in $10 billion above expectations.
Now, we’re at the point where NVIDIA has to look hard for places to put all of its money it’s making. Every week, the company seems to be… taking stakes in small component players, a new hyperscaler, perhaps optical. But after buying back nearly $20 billion of stock in the current quarter, NVIDIA announced a new $80 billion share repurchase program even as… close to $40 billion remaining on its previous authorization. Very bullish. The company’s outlook for the current quarter looked good, too. NVIDIA’s guiding for $91 billion in revenue this quarter, roughly $4 billion above the expectations that were $87 billion, despite the fact that the company’s still assuming no data center compute revenue from China.
It was almost exactly three years ago, in May 2023, that NVIDIA shocked Wall Street with roughly $4 billion of upside in its guide for the quarter ahead. That caused a huge gap up for the stock, which never really looked back after that. But now with the stock up over 600% since then, it’s tougher for the company to surprise investors. It’s gotten so big, the stock’s basically flattened in after-hours trading, which I think is more of a reflection on how everyone who wants NVIDIA already owns NVIDIA than anything qualitative about the company’s earnings. It’s hard to get bigger when you’re so huge at north of $5 trillion.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) develops accelerated computing and AI platforms, GPUs for gaming and professional use, cloud services, robotics and embedded systems, and automotive technologies.
While we acknowledge the potential of NVDA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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