We recently published a list of 8 Stocks in Focus Under Jim Cramer’s Game Plan. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) stands against other stocks in focus under Jim Cramer’s game plan.

Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, offered some important insights to his viewers on Friday, advising them to closely monitor the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting and the earnings reports from companies. However, he also cautioned that irrespective of what the earnings reveal, the direction of the market will largely be determined by President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve.

Cramer explained that Monday will mark a significant moment for understanding consumer behavior, as the February retail sales numbers will be released. He forecasted a sharp decline in consumer spending, which he attributed to growing fears among consumers about job security. Cramer noted that many consumers are left wondering if they might be the next to lose their jobs. He added:

“It’s unavoidable, the president’s ability to create a climate of hope or a climate of fear, and lately, Trump’s gone all in on fear.”

READ ALSO: Jim Cramer’s Latest Lightning Round: 7 Stocks in Focus and Jim Cramer Talked About These 7 Stocks Recently

The following day, Tuesday, will bring the release of February housing data, which Cramer emphasized as significant. He stressed that a strong housing market is essential in preventing a recession, which he described as “terrible”.

“Any kind of slowdown is quickly reflected in housing, which then gets reflected in retail. It’s a delicate chain that starts with housing, which is why I’ll be watching these numbers like a hawk.”

Cramer also expressed concern about the high prices of homes, noting that the cost of lumber is a significant factor, with much of the supply coming from Canada. However, he pointed out that the current tensions between the United States and Canada could exacerbate these price pressures.

Wednesday’s events are also of importance, as the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee will meet, and the market will hear from Jerome Powell, the Fed’s chair. Cramer noted that the most recent inflation data, including both the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index, have been relatively favorable, which might suggest that inflation is under control. However, he cautioned that certain areas of the economy still experience persistent high prices.

Furthermore, as per Cramer, there is a looming possibility of a new round of tariffs, potentially as soon as next week, which could include a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles, perhaps on those from Germany, Japan, and South Korea. He then added:

“I fear the president will choose Wednesday to lower the boom so be prepared. Sure, the market’s oversold. It may stay oversold by Wednesday so it could possibly handle any auto-related tariff news, but you have to be ready for them.”

According to Cramer, the tariffs are inevitable, and their impact would not be gradual or measured. In conclusion, Cramer reiterated that the fate of the market this week will hinge more on actions from the White House and the Federal Reserve than on the earnings reports of individual companies.

Our Methodology

For this article, we compiled a list of 8 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money aired on March 14. We listed the stocks in the order that Cramer mentioned them. We also provided hedge fund sentiment for each stock as of the fourth quarter of 2024, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 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).

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

While Cramer acknowledged that restaurant stocks have been acting oddly recently, he bet that Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) would report “good numbers”.

“Thursday’s abnormally huge. In the morning, we have Darden, the parent of Olive Garden. The restaurant cohort is still all over the map. I see a lot to like about the ones that offer the customers a great value and that’s why I’m betting we’ll see good numbers from Darden.”

Darden (NYSE:DRI) owns and manages a network of full-service restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, including well-known brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. In December 2024, before the company reported its earnings, Cramer stated:

“Thursday morning: Well, Darden tells us how it’s doing and I gotta tell you, this one’s still being driven by Olive Garden. I think the market’s actually moved away from the formerly important restaurant chain. Instead, it’s focused on the results of Texas Roadhouse and Brinker, both of which offer great value and are being rewarded with tremendous numbers and then much higher stock prices.

I wanna find out if Darden gets the consumers pushing back against high prices. They have to tell us what they’re doing to entice these people who seem to be going elsewhere for casual dining, pretty much for people who want to spend no more than $11 per dinner.”

Overall, DRI ranks 3rd on our list of stocks in focus under Jim Cramer’s game plan. While we acknowledge the potential of DRI as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DRI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.