Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, discussed his week’s game plan on Friday, highlighting several companies’ earnings and upcoming inflation reports.
Let’s start our game plan for next week with a recognition that oil’s rally was so easy, it just burst right through the $90s, that it wouldn’t shock me if it went even higher, especially if the shipping companies refuse to go through the Strait of Hormuz, even after being offered insurance… If the president were to open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for a few weeks, then oil could be crushed. Unfortunately, the reserve’s at half capacity right now, maybe not enough to last through the entire conflict if President Trump’s keeps insisting on Iran’s unconditional surrender.
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Cramer also discussed the upcoming release of the Consumer Price Index, scheduled for Wednesday. He wondered if investors might overlook the report because of the sharp move in oil. However, he said he hopes that does not happen, noting that several major components of inflation, including insurance, food, and rent, have been “going lower.” He added that it is important that inflation at least appear to be easing, because otherwise the Federal Reserve could struggle to justify additional interest-rate cuts given the pressure from rising oil prices.
Cramer said that both the broader economy and the stock market would benefit from lower rates and pointed to the day’s weak employment report as another sign that easing may be needed. He also said a softer CPI reading would give incoming Fed chief Kevin Warsh more ammunition to persuade voting members to continue further rate reductions. He mentioned that he expects a mild inflation number, though he questioned whether it will carry much weight in the current environment.
Finally, on Friday, we got the most important figures for the week. It’s called the Personal Consumption Expenditures data, PCE, which is the Fed’s preferred way to measure inflation. Again, we’re not able to predict oil… this one should go for the bulls. Here’s the bottom line: It is tough to make judgments about the market when we don’t have a clear sense of where this war with Iran is headed and what’s going to happen in oil. But we can still make judgments about individual companies. To me, what’s amazing is that oil did skyrocket 35% in one week, by the way, that was the most in one week ever, and yet the market didn’t crater. Maybe that, and not the oil premium, is the real takeaway.
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 March 6. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them.
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9 Stocks on Jim Cramer’s Game Plan: Oracle, AeroVironment, and More
9. Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA)
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer mentioned the stock during the game plan and said:
Thursday, we get reports from three that I like: DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, and Ulta Beauty… For the same reason, I think you can buy both Dollar General and Ulta Beauty unless oil makes a quick run to $120. These fit the description of what’s working are bargain offerings, real bargains. They have them. As long as the price of crude doesn’t go insane, it will matter, and these will go higher.
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) provides cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products. In addition, the company offers in-store beauty services, including hair, makeup, brow, and skin treatments. During the January 9 episode, Cramer said that Wall Street is “falling back in love with the new Ulta.” He stated:
I always keep an eye on the new high list to understand what’s working. And for the past couple weeks, one of my favorite companies has practically achieved permanent residency status, making a new high almost every day. And I’m talking about Ulta Beauty… Yes, new CEO Kecia Steelman took over a year ago, and boy, she’s managed to orchestrate a pretty impressive turnaround, and that’s why I recommended buying the stock into weakness just a few months ago. But it’s time to revisit it because it’s an even better story…
You’ve got a retailer that is indeed firing on all cylinders. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s looking a lot like the Ulta of old, the innovative growth story that was run by Mary Dillon for so many years before she went to work at Footlocker. Wall Street loved the old Ulta for good reason, and now, it’s falling back in love with the new Ulta. Of course, at this point, we’re no longer early. Ulta’s rallied a quick 27% in just two and a half months since I recommended it. The stock’s not yet super expensive, selling for just over 23 times the year’s earnings estimates. But it’s certainly more expensive than it was before, now trading at a bit of a premium to the overall market versus a slight discount when I recommended it in October… If you didn’t listen to me last time, you know what? I still think you can buy Ulta here and get some exposure to this excellent story, which is not quite a true turnaround story yet, but is definitely getting much better under new management story now.
If you took my word for it in October and you bought the stock, then it’s a hold. Oh, and congratulations on your quick gains, though. Either way, with Ulta stock white-hot here, I mean white-hot, you should be hoping for a market-wide pullback that gives you a chance to load up on this one at a really good level. The bottom line is that Ulta Beauty continues to look better and better and then better some more. The stock’s certainly run a bit at this point, but I think it’s got more upside as the company is starting this new year with more momentum than at any point in ages.
8. Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG)
Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer highlighted it as one of the stocks he likes, as he commented:
Thursday, we get reports from three that I like: DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, and Ulta Beauty… For the same reason, I think you can buy both Dollar General and Ulta Beauty unless oil makes a quick run to $120. These fit the description of what’s working are bargain offerings, real bargains. They have them. As long as the price of crude doesn’t go insane, it will matter, and these will go higher.
Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG) sells everyday essentials, including food, household items, personal care products, and apparel at affordable prices. In addition, it provides seasonal goods, pet supplies, and home products. A caller inquired about the stock during the February 2 episode, mentioning that Cramer recommended it last year. The Mad Money host responded:
I know who you’re talking about. Dollar General… okay. I went to Dollar General… The reason I recommend this stock, I had a fabulous experience at my Dollar General… It was much better than before. I went aisle by aisle by aisle. I know they were thinking what are you, casing the joint? What’s he casing the joint? Because if I want to do a good job for you… I take the stuff that Wall Street does. I take a look at the conference calls, and then I go into my own aisles and see what’s going on. And Dollar General was terrific, and you know what? It remains terrific.
7. DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS)
DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer said that a good number might finally “blast off” the stock, as he remarked:
Thursday, we get reports from three that I like: DICK’S Sporting Goods, Dollar General, and Ulta Beauty. DICK’S is on a big winning streak when it comes to the numbers, but not the stock. All this week, though, if a retailer reported a good number, its stock was rewarded. So maybe DICK’S can finally blast off.
DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS) sells sporting goods, fitness equipment, apparel, footwear, and similar accessories. Cramer mentioned the stock during the November 25, 2025, episode and said:
I like DICK’S Sporting Goods after they cut margins, removed all the rest of that bad inventory from Footlocker, which they bought earlier in the year.
6. The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB)
The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer highlighted the stock’s negative performance, as he said:
The food stocks have been horrendous of late. One of the worst is Campbell’s, which has salty snacks, baked goods, and of course, soups. This darn thing’s only worth $7.7 billion now, despite that acquisition of Rao’s, which has been a home run for the company. That 6% yield looks real safe. But the issue, the real sticking point, is that Campbell’s earnings are suspected to be down in 2026, and money managers don’t like to buy the stocks of companies that are going to have down years, plain and simple.
The Campbell’s Company (NASDAQ:CPB) manufactures and sells soups, broths, sauces, juices, frozen meals, and beverages. In addition, it provides a wide range of snacks through brands like Pepperidge Farm, Goldfish, Snyder’s of Hanover, Cape Cod, and Kettle Brand. A caller asked about the stock, mentioning its yield during the September 30, 2025, episode, and Cramer replied:
Conagra’s not the only food stock with an outsized yield. Campbell’s has been fighting the bears for years. Talk about solid brands… Pepperidge Farm, Cape Cod… V8, all solid. Stock yields just under 5%. Kind of tempting, but why is that yield that high? I think the only way to justify buying this one is if you’re waiting for a takeover. And at least so far, that’s not been a real good bet.
It is important to note that since the above comment was aired, The Campbell’s Company’s (NASDAQ:CPB) stock price has fallen over 18%.
5. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM)
Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer was bullish on the stock, as he commented:
One other… Howmet, terrific aerospace parts company, gives a presentation about its technology on Tuesday. It seems that almost every time this company speaks, its stock jumps. We joke about how much Howmet is loved… I think you can own it with a little risk and a lot of love right here. It’s just in the sweet spot.
Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) provides engineered solutions for aerospace and transportation, including aircraft engine components, fastening systems, structural materials, and forged wheels. Cramer also showed a positive sentiment toward the stock during the March 2 episode, as he remarked:
Finally, in 10th place, there’s Howmet Aerospace again… This stock’s outperformance is nothing new. I’ve loved Howmet for ages, and it is now up more than 800% over the past five years. That includes a 26.2% gain last month. This thing has no quit in it. Nothing surprising here. The aerospace bull market remains fully in place. Really, the whole aerospace defense complex looks terrific right now.
4. AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV)
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer called it a “long-time Cramer fave,” as he said:
We also hear from AeroVironment, and this one’s timely. We have lots of defense stocks just going higher and higher, led by Lockheed Martin. That’s big hardware. By the way, I like RTX, too. If you want drones, though, and I know many of you do, you do buy the stock of AeroVironment. It’s a long-time Cramer fave, but things don’t seem right here.
November of 2024, this company announced a deal to acquire BlueHalo for $4.1 billion to exploit that company’s counter-drone technology as well as its satellite abilities. BlueHalo has a big contract with the Pentagon for satellite work. The stock was pummeled recently, though, when we heard that the contract will be rebid. Now, we gotta find out what’s really happening here. I think AeroVironment has terrific technology, but we need to learn more about BlueHalo because, without that contract, maybe these guys paid too much for the acquisition, and the stock is overvalued. I want to know.
AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV) develops robotic and autonomous systems, including uncrewed aircraft, counter-UAS tools, precision-strike solutions, advanced AI, and autonomy. In addition, the company provides space, cyber, communications, and intelligence systems used in defense and commercial applications.
3. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer said that it is the “most important company reporting” in the week, as he commented:
After the close, wow, big one, Oracle reports. This one’s a total pain point ever since it decided to go all in on building data centers. The plan was hatched back when the stock was in the low $100s, then it soared to $345 as we learned that Oracle had huge orders to build data centers all over the country, including a gargantuan one from OpenAI. But when Oracle took down a gigantic amount of debt to do the buildout, investors started getting worried, and the stock’s now been more than cut in half since then.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Oracle’s the most important company reporting next week. We need to hear that the data centers’ buildout’s going well and the company’s starting to make money, or maybe soon. I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind if they sold that Cerner, that medical records business they bought, even if they got less money than they paid for it.
Hey, you know what? Hey, why not get the full skinny on what’s really going on at that Oracle mega data center place that they’re doing with OpenAI in Abilene, Texas? A lot of chatter about how OpenAI may not want to do more at that site. I don’t know. I want to find out more. I want Oracle to tell me because I’ve gotta tell you, the story that appeared this afternoon that there might be trouble did knock down all the hyperscalers and all the semis in a beleaguering last hour of trading. I don’t know, may not be true.
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) provides cloud and on-premise software, databases, and IT infrastructure to help businesses manage operations.
2. Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS)
Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer highlighted the company’s new management, as he remarked:
Tuesday morning, we get results from Kohl’s, and this earnings season’s been kind to almost all the retailers. Kohl’s, with new management, will most likely be treated well. I like to buy inexpensive quality, and we got some real great numbers the last few weeks from solid discounters like Burlington. Boy, that was really good for us. Ross Stores was even better. TJX was strong. I don’t know if we actually need Kohl’s, but it could be the beginning of a rebuild that’s worth watching.
Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) sells apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products. Some of its brands include Apt. 9, Jumping Beans, Tek Gear, and Simply Vera Vera Wang.
1. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY)
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) is one of the stocks on Jim Cramer’s game plan. Cramer started his game plan with the stock, as he stated:
Presumably, unless something truly horrific happens over the weekend, though, we’ll be back dealing with stocks, looking for those that might be immune to the pain from higher oil and the pump. So let’s start with one that I think is, let’s start with Casey’s, the shorthand for the 2,900-store chain that lives in all the, so many small towns in America. By the way, the breakfast pizza is fan fave. We tried it, we liked it here. Casey sells gasoline, too. So someone may want to spin that as negative, but I think the crowd will love it when it reports after the close. It’s the best chain of stores that nobody on Wall Street has ever heard of, or of course, gone to.
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) operates a chain of convenience stores that offer freshly prepared foods such as pizza, donuts, and sandwiches, along with motor fuel, tobacco products, beverages, and other household and automotive essentials.
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